


CSMC: Philly - Private Varnish

by skimo



Series: Courtland Street Chronicles [6]
Category: General Hospital
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-23
Updated: 2013-09-23
Packaged: 2017-12-27 10:04:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 38,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/977475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skimo/pseuds/skimo





	1. Chapter 1

Lee Radcliffe is familiar with Alice’s brag book. She kept a book of the cars she’d restored over the years. The one that she showed customers is the before and after but back in her office there were project books with all the work along the way. Alice’s Custom Restorations had been in business since before he was born. Gordon Motor Tours which specializes in touring rigs whether its bus or semi conversion is a more recent development. The first bus came out Chandy’s senior year at Berklee, the Mayday bus; it’s still in service. The next bus was for the Michaelson’s; that one had been one of his. He’d put together the financing between his folks, Hill and Grandpa Edward who’d called it foolishness but gone along anyway. The next one was a touring rig he’d reinvested in. Hill would butt her nose in on things picking colors or whatever, as would Twink down in Boston, but they didn’t get to do it as often anymore because he isn’t building touring rigs on spec anymore and not just for Courtland Street Management Company-- Talent. The only way he’s been able to do this is Alice. She’d taken him under her wing and really made it possible. She’d shown him how to do it right, because she believed as long as you did it right there would always be a market for the rigs.

“What are you looking at?” Alice is wiping grease from her hands as she comes into the office of Gordon Motor tours.

“You’re going to think I’m crazy.” Lee replies looking up from the laptop.

“Yeah, and that’ll be different from yesterday how?”

Lee laughs and flips around the monitor so she can see what he’s looking at.

Alice whistles. “Now that is a flash from the past. What got you going there?”

“Something Fancy and Hill were yammering about. They think Grandpa Edward should get some Private Varnish.” Lee makes quote marks in the air. “Hill and Twink started first with the rehabbing of the shipping containers into tour rigs or emergency housing. Then Fancy was telling Hill about going up to Toronto to see a basketball game and how nice it was on the train.”

“That Amtrak run from Toronto thru Port Charles and then down to The City is a nice one.” Alice agrees. “Liked the trip from The City up to Boston too.”

“And Amtrak will pull private cars if they are up to code. They charge an arm and a leg but they do it.” Lee flips to another car online, and another. “You get a lot more flexibility of course with the road mansions– aren’t limited to the rails.”

“Lot of truckers getting out the business or doing local only because the freight companies going back to the rails– cost of fuel is getting out of hand.” Alice grabs her glasses and looks at the monitor more carefully, pursing her lips as she studies the details. “The Old Man isn’t getting around as much as he used to. Makes everyone come to him instead.”

“Bill is going to be at Emerson come September. Drew is going to be going too probably the year after that for Vet School at Tufts-- I know it was one he applied to. Chandy is still based out of Boston, along with all of Mayday. It’s getting to the point where there are more people needing to be shuttled than can fit on the jet. Aunt Colby is based out of Boston now too. I can almost picture it. Grandpa would still make them come to him but he’d be parked at the local train station! Some of the styles on these look like the family room over at the mansion. If he isn’t happy about how often they come up here he could take the family room to them.”

“Mrs Q would have love this.” Alice nods. “It’s an interesting idea.”

“It’s an expensive idea.” Lee sighs. “It’s got to be up to Amtrak mechanical code or it’s parked. That can cost six figures easy. And we’re booked for the next two years with work on the Motor Coaches. We’re already looking for a new building because we’re growing out of the current one.”

The PA calls out in the warehouse. “Hey Lee, need you down on the floor.”

“Got to go.” Lee turns the monitor around and heads down the stairs to the floor of the warehouse bustling with activity-- two buses in different stages of rehab.

Alice looks out the window to the floor below. The kid is right; they had been looking to expand. The cottage is only really big enough for doing a couple of cars– a hobby really, keeping it small. This place had been picked up after the Mayday bus had been completed when she’d started getting calls from bands on the road because of Mayday’s promotion of their bus along with their album. Picking up the phone, she makes a call. “Mouse, going to have to move up that search for a bigger space. Things are getting a little cramped over here. But I have an additional condition. It’s got to be a on a rail line. Hell if there are tracks running right through it wouldn’t bug me a bit.”

“Well that’s a new twist, what brought this on?”

“Kid got an idea.” Alice goes over to Lee’s computer. She isn’t as good with them as the kid is but mostly because she always feels like she’s going to hit three keys at once. “Just sent ya a picture.”

It takes a couple of seconds but then there is a whistle over the phone. “Yeah, I’d say he did. You think there is a market for this?”

Alice shrugs. “Who knows. How would Baby like having a CSMC club on rails?” 

“Taking party bus to a whole new level.” Mouse jokes. But he isn’t coming at the idea cold because Fancy had put it in her journal when she’d been doing that tour of the NE. Had hit basketball games in The City, Toronto, Boston and Philly. All of which have rail stations.

* * *

Warehouses down by the docks are at a premium. ELQ still uses the docks for their international fleet with the big Sea crane AJ had put into play back when he was running ELQ. Because there is a large freight component to the dock there is a rail line in close proximity. At that point it had been a matter of taking a walk along the tracks to see where they would go and what if anything is available along the way. Having a spur coming off the main rail line into... no, through a warehouse well that is going to be just interesting. It didn’t have to be fancy. Had to be affordable and big. Big enough to house all their equipment and more than the two buses they are working on now. The rehabbing is all about the interiors which had never been Alice’s love. She’d always been more about the mechanics and she would love to get back to that even if it is on the big rigs.

It had taken some doing but Mouse had found one that would work for Alice’s purposes. He’d even sent the graphics off to the sign maker so that a new sign could be made per her specs. Gordon Radcliffe Tours. It was going to fold everything into the space– what they are doing now and what they would be doing hopefully in the future. Baby had found out about the plan and fronted the first of the passenger cars to rehab. It had already been up to Amtrak specs as far as the undercarriage is concerned so it’s all about the car itself and bringing it up to the details expected by the comfortably well off– a polite euphemism for filthy rich. And the passenger cars for a train are definitely more to play with than even a Prevost bus conversion. They are twice as long and actually have an upstairs/down set up. One of the things most of the Private Varnish folks seemed to be doing is trying to hook into nostalgia and bring back the look of the forties and fifties, the heyday of train travel. Thing is that was the best that the 40's and 50's offered and if train travel is going to make a comeback then it’s going to have to be the best offered now, with modern amenities. Alice has always been about taking her cues from the luxury yachts when building her buses. Lee had too in his own way while giving them a younger feel in his choice of colors and fabrics. 

“Where is he?!” It’s a screeching bray that has no need for a PA system to carry through the cavernous warehouse of GRT.

Lee looks to the sky for divine intervention and wonders what he has done to deserve a visit at work from Aunt Tracy. He knows right now every single person on the warehouse floor is pointing to the office, the sooner to get Tracy the hell away from them.

Hillary is the first one through the door and it’s at a run so that she can get her side in first. “Sorry, sorry, sorry. I had sketches in my portfolio. She thought they were hats. I didn’t mean to tell.”

“Who the hell do you think you are?!” Tracy demands out of breath from climbing all the stairs. “How could you do this as a present for my father from my family and not tell me about it?! I know what my father would like not some grease monkey who can’t even bother to go to college.”

Lee closes his eyes and with his thumb attempts to rub away the headache that had started right between his eyes about a minute ago. “Aunt Tracy, right now it’s a mechanically sound, rusted out in spots, filthy hole getting money thrown at it. I fully intended to bring you in once I had a clean canvas to get started. Hill saw it early because she was checking out one of the rigs. Believe me she’s barred now.”

“Lee! I said I was sorry. You can’t bar me; I’m an investor!” Hillary protests.

“Do you really want to see it, Aunt Tracy?” Lee inquires.

“Of course!” Tracy declares but now she’s not so sure since Lee seems to be giving in a little easy. He’s as bad as Cole.

“Fine. But you’re going to need these.” Lee goes over to a cupboard in the corner of the office and pulls out two pairs of coveralls. “Both of you. Because I’m not going to listen to bitching about snagged this or stained that.” With that he gets up and walks out of the office shutting the door behind him.

Hill grabs a set of coveralls; no matter how small they are she knows they are going to be huge. “Well I can guess that Maxie didn’t design these. But maybe we should have her make some if we’re going to work on Grandpa Edward’s present.”

“You have got to be kidding!” Tracy screeches.

Hill winces but she is already getting changed into the coverall. “I should have thought of this before. Sorry. And Lee’s right. Daddy Cole freaked when I got this sweater if I wreck it the first time I wear it I’ll be cleaning the bar for a month.”

“Oh for goodness sake!” Tracy grabs a pair of overalls and finding a sheltered spot starts changing too.

* * *

Lee hadn’t lied. And mechanically sound is really rather boring. Because that is all about where the trucks hit the tracks, brakes, hydraulics. It might be what makes the ride smooth but it isn’t something either Hill or Tracy are going to be crawling around to see. If Tracy hadn’t already seen Hill’s drawings she would be out the door with a curse and the roll of her eyes. But because she has seen the drawings she is already predisposed to see the potential while already seeing the reality. “Your brother needs to get the number of one of Fancy’s shrinks.”

“Not going to be ready for Grandpa’s birthday or Christmas either.” Hill sighs. “Maybe next spring, cherry blossoms in DC when he rips the senator a new one?”

Tracy laughs at that. It’s a short laugh, more of a cough. Hill still adores her father and believes he can do no wrong but over the years that had been tempered with reality. So she knows the Old Man will rip the senator a new one but believes it will be totally deserved and would probably even provide him with a list of things to tear into the senator about.

“You never did see the Mayday bus did you, Aunt Tracy?” Hill frowns. “Lee says before Alice built the bus she did her homework by going to not only RV shows but also yacht shows and reading magazines about boating. It’s all about the built-ins and having all the comforts of home in a much smaller space. And then everything basically has to be contained in case somebody slams on the brakes.”

“Yacht hmm.” Tracy considers. It’s like a turn of a kaleidoscope.

“And Lee says he doesn’t want to build something like the forties or fifties. Doesn’t want to be a trip back in history. He wants it to have all the modern conveniences, doesn’t want it to look retro or dated. Timeless yes, timewarp no. And it’s going to be lot easier to get furnishing and putting in really nice details because you don’t have the weight restrictions that an RV does. It really can be a house on rails.”

“Father isn’t getting any younger.” Tracy mutters as she tries to not touch anything. “The mansion has many of the adaptive things still from when Mother was alive: the elevator, wider hallways, bigger bathroom.”

Hillary pulls out a notepad and starts taking down notes. Her eyes get really wide as an idea occurs to her.

“What?!” Tracy demands impatiently.

“That painting... the one you’ve been hiding from Grandpa that you’re going to give him for his birthday. The one from that artist you like.” Hillary looks around. They are in the lower level of the car which is going to be the lounge. Above it is the observation deck with the big windows designed for site seeing. But this space would be Edward’s lounge. “This is Grandpa’s Zone. Right here. It’s going to be where he’s going to have his chair and there would have to be a beverage cart for his scotch and there would be a small table where he could have his croissant and fruit for breakfast while reading the paper. Where would be the mantle?” Hillary starts looking around the space. There isn’t going to be a fireplace of course but...

“Right there.” Tracy points emphatically. “We need to get measurements of the space. Pull the colors from the painting. Go get a measuring tape.”

Hill gives her a thumbs up not taking the terse order any way but positively and races out of the car in search of a measuring tape.

Tracy looks around again. “This could work.”

* * *

“I’ll have a beer.” The man at the rail says to the older man behind the bar.

“Try again.” Cole retorts as he pulls a glass and topping it with ice fills it with coke. He spins it down the bar to his eldest son. “Bad day at the office?”

“Aunt Tracy showed up.” Lee informs his adoptive father glumly.

“Why didn’t you start with that? I might have been tempted even if you are a couple of years short.” Cole makes his way down to the bar stopping briefly to pick up his coffee cup. “What in the hell was the old witch doing at the shop?!”

Lee takes a sip of the coke. He’d cleaned this place long enough to feel almost like he was in a second home. “Hill was at the shop checking out the new space when the rail car was brought in. Hill being Hill promptly started decorating car. She’s done it with the rigs, with the cargo boxes so of course she’s right there with the railcar. Aunt Tracy evidently went snooping through her portfolio thinking it was going to be hats.”

Cole grimaces and shakes his head. “I do not and have never understood your sister... and I have always prided myself on being a man who understands women but your sister...” 

“It’s not Hill, not really. It’s Aunt Tracy I don’t understand. I mean I get that she’s a judgmental bitch who is never satisfied with anything and believes any time spent with Grandpa Edward is an infringement on her personal turf– and yet she and Hillary get along.” Lee rubs his thumb between his eyes again. That headache is coming back. “Hill I get. She’s taken martial arts training for the last ten years. She knows she could take Aunt Tracy. Hell she probably figured she could take her when she was ten. It’s Aunt Tracy I don’t get.”

“Tracy I get well enough.” Cole retorts. “She’s all about the Old Man and getting what is hers. I always figured that Hill was her ticket into his good graces. And that whole stock thing they have going... I figured it was going to be just birthdays. Your mother knew better. She saw this coming when Hill turned eight the way Edward, Tracy and Hill all had their heads together. Been that way ever since.”

“I can’t complain.” Lee shakes his head. “She was a major investor in my first rig. In fact she used that against me today when I was trying to kick her and Tracy out of the office. I’m too young to wish that kids didn’t get summer breaks.”

“Yeah, lucky for you that she’s doing a summer job at ELQ.”

* * *

Hill’s job at ELQ is in the mailroom. And she follows the uniform of the staffers there for the most part. They are all the go getters the interns and the first years who didn’t jump to a cube on some of the higher floors. But Grandpa had wanted her here because everything that comes to ELQ comes through this room and it would involve her stopping in every office on every floor. She is a Mail Room Spy as far as Grandpa and Aunt Tracy are concerned. Thing is she really didn’t plan on being good at it. Which is why it’s uniform for the most part. She has the feminine version of the button down shirt, dressy slacks or more often skirts, low heels since she’s walking and standing all day and then her business hats which do vary by the day. There may be some in the building who didn’t know the name Hillary Radcliffe but everyone knew about Edward’s granddaughter with the hats.

So the first Monday of her Summer break she is there bright and early arriving before any of the other mailroom folks but not before the mail room supervisor. Since she is the only newby this summer, the supervisor shows her the nuts and bolts of the job and gets her sorting the mail. If the supervisor is surprised by her willingness to get her hands dirty he keeps it to himself. Hill might have not been a regular doing the clean up at Jake’s but she’d done it enough times when Daddy Cole thought she was in need of some one on one time to know how to just get it done. When it comes time to do the mail run for the building she accompanies a more senior member of the mailroom staff who gives a running commentary as they are going floor by floor, door by door. They finish on the executive floor.

“Hill, in my office now!” Tracy demands from her doorway. She’d already called down to the mailroom to find out where the girl is.

“Auntie, we haven’t finished this floor.”

The other mailroom staffer blanches and feels his short career passing before his eyes.

Tracy gives Hill a scathing look which Hill just returns blandly. “Fine, but don’t dwaddle. I have a conference with the designer in twenty minutes.” She goes back in her office.

“Look just go.” Her coworker hisses.

“No, We’ll finish this but really fast okay? I want to hear what the designer says.”

“You seen how we do it. You take this side and I’ll take the other.”

“Deal.” The delivery to this point had been a marathon but they are finishing with a sprint. In 9 minutes and thirty seconds, Hill is breathless but at Tracy’s door.

“Tell her supervisor she’s on a project for me.” Tracy pulls Hill in her office and shuts the door in the staffer’s face.

Hillary goes back to the door and opens it up. “Sorry. I’ll check in right after the conference and...”

“Hill! Now!” Tracy screeches.

“Sorry.” Hill wrinkles her nose but then shuts the door again. Then turning around she demands. “What designer?”

“I commissioned a designer in The City to come up with some looks for the Rail Car.”

“Aunt Tracy, you can’t do that! It’s Lee’s car!”

“You do it all the time. You’re always giving him your little drawings.”

“And he never uses them. Not really.”

Tracy grimaces. She suspects Hill is telling a version of the truth. She wouldn’t put it past Lee to take what he wanted from Hill’s drawings. The boy’s as stubborn and mule headed as his father. “All I commissioned are the drawings. And I paid a premium to cut to the head of the line to get the drawings done. It gives him a place to start.” Tracy hits the intercom to the receptionist. “Send her in.”

The designer isn’t used to cooling her heels in a lobby. She made appointments to see her prospective client’s spaces and take measurements. At this level of her career, she is the one to dictate her schedule. But a commission by Tracy Quartermaine... “Good afternoon, Ms Quartermaine.” She shakes Tracy’s hand since she’d put it out there to shake and looks over at the petite woman in a junior staffer uniform... except for an over the top hat which has her raising a brow and giving a smile.

“This is my niece Hillary Radcliffe. Between the two of us, we know what my father likes.”

“Hello.” Hillary comes over and offers her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I didn’t know that Aunt Tracy was doing this. Did she send you all the measurements and a description of the rail car?”

“A very colorful description and measurements, thanks. As well as the insurance picture of a painting you wanted included in the design.” Opening up her portfolio, she pulls out the first of her sketches. “These are rough; I’d have to do my own measurements if getting into specifics.”

Hill looks at Tracy and shakes her head. This is so not going to work. Lee would never go for it. He has final say on everything going into his rigs and he has his own sources, Alice’s sources. And thanks to Alice’s sources he probably knew where to bury a body of someone that really started getting on his last nerve. “Did Aunt Tracy tell you Grandpa would want timeless and not time warp?” Her voice is wry because she can see the problem already.

The designer winces and glancing through the sketches sets a couple aside.

“My brother may still want to buy those sketches from you. Maybe even frame them and hang them in his office. I don’t think this is going to be the last rail car he rehabs, just the first. But they’re not going to work for Grandpa.” Hill walks along the wall of sketches and adds a couple more to the discard pile basically concluding the rough sort and then glances over at Tracy.

Tracy goes over and examines the works more carefully. Hill goes over to Tracy’s computer and pulls up her own email and prints off an email from Twink. It has a list of adaptive ideas, not only for Grandpa but also for going high tech with the railcar without leaving a huge footprint on the environment. She prints off the email and seeing that there is a pause in the conversation between Tracy and the designer goes back over to them. “I think this one.” Tracy considers. “It’s the closest to what we would have in mind.”

Hill nods. “It’s the one I think Grandpa Edward would like best too.” She glances over at the designer. “The car will be rated for 110 mph. The scary thing about that-- stopping at 110 mph. I doubt it will ever go that fast, it’s not exactly bullet train territory but it’s a requirement for Amtrak. That means everything used on it will have to be installed with that in mind.”

“You’re basically talking like riding an earthquake complete with aftershocks for the length of the trip.” The designer puts it in terms easily understood.

“What a horrifying thought.” Tracy grimaces.

“I’m sure Lee will make sure the shocks are better than that but yeah, there is going to have to be materials used that are going to have some give in them.”

* * *

* * *

Notes:  
http://www.aaprco.com/cgi/cars/cardisplay.pl?yerba buena:type

http://www.aaprco.com/cgi/cars/cardisplay.pl?pointe charles:type

http://www.aaprco.com/cgi/cars/cardisplay.pl?warren henry:type

http://www.aaprco.com/cgi/cars/cardisplay.pl?bella vista:type

http://www.aaprco.com/cgi/cars/cardisplay.pl?vista dome:type

http://www.aaprco.com/cgi/cars/cardisplay.pl?hollywood:type 

http://www.aaprco.com/cgi/cars/cardisplay.pl?northern dreams:type


	2. Chapter 2

The decorator has a little time to kill after checking into her room at the Port Charles hotel. It’s a different project, very different. Something she would have done back in college as a project. Maybe a model back in high school for her application to design school. A railway car for goodness sake– and it sounded like she’d blown the commission. Calling down to the concierge desk, “I am looking for Gordon Motor Tours... the address, the phone number, the name of the people running it.”

“Of course.” Marty laughs. “The owner of Gordon Motor Tours is Alice Gordon but they have recently moved into different quarters down by the railroad tracks and changed the name to Gordon Radcliffe Tours. The Radcliffe is Lee Radcliffe. The phone number is the same as with Gordon Motor Tours.” Marty gives the number. “Anything else, Ms Hughes?”

“No, that’s great. Thank you.” India Hughes replies. “Wait... could you call me a cab for the front of the hotel.”

* * *

“This is it?!” The disbelief in her tone is clear. 

“It’s what the sign says.” The cabbie points.

“But it’s a dump.”

“Lady, I just drive. If you want real estate I can give you the name of my cousin.”

“Will you wait until I at least see if anyone is here?”

“Yeah, sure whatever.” The cabbie shrugs.

India really doesn’t trust that the guy or that she would be able to walk back to the hotel in these shoes. Grabbing her portfolio, she goes to the plain metal door of the large warehouse. The door is unlocked but the main floor appears deserted. “Hello? Is anyone here?”

Up on what would be the third floor if there was a second, Lee comes out of his office. “May I help you?”

“I’m looking for Alice Gordon or Lee Radcliffe.”

“I’m Lee Radcliffe.”

“I met your sister and Aunt today.” India watches as the young man closes his eyes and tilts his head back. She knows a prayer for divine intervention when she sees one.

“Great.” Lee says with a sigh. He makes his way down the stairs to the main floor of the warehouse. “Who are you and why would you be meeting with my Aunt and then coming here... as if I didn’t already know.”

“My name is India Hughes. I’m an interior designer. A very good one as a matter of fact.” Now that she is right there by him, she can see how young he is. Too young to have his name on a building, even if it is a dump.

“You know Tracy would respect you more if you didn’t drop anything at a phone call from her. Or if you would have said that she had to come to your office rather than hers. My Aunt is all about the turf– and you’ve already lost.”

“Thanks for the heads up. It’s a little late. And the hindsight thing-- really annoying.”

Lee laughs. “So what did they rope you into?”

“Preliminary drawings for your Grandfather’s suite in the railcar.”

Lee grimaces and points in the direction of Alice’s office which is under his but on the ground level of the warehouse. It’s the office they planned on using for anyone stopping by. He goes in first and flips the lights on.

“Oh my.” India goes over to the walls. The first things hung in the office are Chandy’s after pictures of various rigs they’d worked on: RV, Semi and the shipping containers. And by each one there is a before picture. It’s more of a small digital picture but it gets the point across. Gordon Radcliffe Tours is about the work. “Not my medium but very well done.”

“Thanks. My older sister took the after pictures. She also spent about two years in this rig right here.” Lee taps the Mayday bus. “The idea was a comfortable bus for a band but not over the top. Alice did the planning on that one. And I did a lot of the grunt work. It’s what got me started in the business.”

“But a railcar?” India shakes her head in disbelief. “I really never heard of such a thing. I mean I’ve taken the train before of course from New York to DC but it’s not exactly...” She doesn’t quite know how to finish the sentence.

Lee shrugs. “I don’t know if they will ever really make a comeback. But the price of fuel isn’t exactly going down. Grandfather is still on the board of ELQ and has access to two company jets if he needs to get someplace in a hurry. But he’s also in his 90's, he doesn’t need to get anywhere in a hurry. I’ve got a cousin who is all about public transportation and small footprint. It may not make a comeback but she’d love to have a showcase of how it could work. Get the rich people in on it and then let it fly from there.”

“Would that be...” India partially unzips her portfolio and pulls out the printed copy of an email Hill had given her. “...Twink?” 

“Tatiana Quartermaine, MIT student in structural engineering and youngest daughter of AJ Quartermaine and his wife, Lydia Karinen-Quartermaine.” Lee cynically sees the dawning awareness. “Yeah, Aunt Tracy is actually the small fish on this project and coming late to the party. Thanks to Twink and Hill emailing each other constantly– I’m getting hit with directions, ideas, wish lists and money from across the whole family whether it’s Karinen, Quartermaine or Kristina Ashton of CSMC. Baby is the one who purchased the railcar for conversion. If she likes the one Alice and I build for Grandfather she’ll probably commission another one as a CSMC club on rails.”

India’s eyebrows go up at that. “You’re kidding right?” She’s heard Baby Ashton’s name of course. CSMC has a presence in The City even if they aren’t pushing to be a Trump. Mixed use properties and a lot of them, they don’t buy buildings that take up a whole block, just all the buildings on a block.

Lee shakes his head. “Toronto, Port Charles, The City, Boston, DC, Miami, Atlanta.... hell I don’t know all the places that CSMC has offices. But DC to Toronto are all close enough to really like getting together. So I’m going to be doing at least two of these... maybe three.”

“Your Aunt kept the drawing she liked the best but would you like to see the rest?” India offers.

“Sure.” Lee shrugs. “Might even steal some of your ideas.”

India puts the portfolio on the cleared desk and opens it up. She takes a half step back to let the younger man in to look at the drawings. She shouldn’t but she’s holding her breath.

The first one Lee taps. “From the regular Private Varnish folks this one would probably be the star. There are lots of... re-creators out there who are all about the heyday of the 1940's and 50's. You’ve really caught the period.”

“But it’s not what you wanted.”

“No. Like you said– where is the market for a refurbished lounge railcar? We’re not trying to tap into the existing market. We want to create the market– we’re going for the people who have homes in the Hamptons or at least go up to Vermont and Maine to see the leaves change. People who are into yachting– sail more than motor– all about the use of space. People who are willing to spend a million bucks on an RV but who will bitch about the cost of gas. Somebody who is always stuck driving the RV and really would like to see the scenery maybe with a beer or cocktail.” Lee flips the drawing over and glancing at the next flips it over too. Same issue. The third drawing is more on track with what he had in mind. “This one is closer. What are you thinking for the wood?”

“Mahogany with a cherry inlay. It’ll have a great tone on tone quality.”

Lee winces. “Yeah. Okay. I have a source for some reclaimed Mahogany– local tear down. Don’t care what they say about green harvests, if it’s coming out of the rainforest it’s coming out of the rainforest. If I don’t know where it’s coming from I’m not going to touch it.”

“You feel the same way about hand hooked rugs?”

“If they are new, you betcha. I may have started working for my dad when I was 13 but that is kind of where I draw the line. If the workers are younger than that and are getting paid a buck an hour...” Lee shakes his head. “If the rugs are over ten years old well then I can at least figure the workers are over 18 now. Machine loomed depending on the materials is fine.” He turns to the next drawing. “You’re using the same palette in each of these.”

“Your Aunt send me an insurance picture of a painting she is planning on gifting to her father.” India reaches around to get into the portfolio. She hands it to Lee.

Lee sighs. This is something he isn’t going to be able to get around. “Have you seen it in person?”

“Yes. It was in your Aunt’s office. The colors in the drawings are good. Maybe need a touch more chocolate in the browns.”

Lee takes the list of adaptive ideas Twink sent Hill and grabs a highlighter from the top of Alice’s desk. He selects a few from the list. “These are going to be a must throughout the whole thing. There is no way I’m taking you through the car... not tonight. You’re not dressed for it. Do you want to see one of our rigs ready for delivery? It may give you more of an idea of what to offer Tracy. If you want.”

“And if I want to go through the car?”

“Come dressed in your grubbies tomorrow morning, ready to get dirty.” Lee retorts.

“I’ll check out the rig... if the offer is still open.”

Lee indicates with a hand. “Right this way.”

* * *

The next morning India is there when Alice, normally the first one in, in the morning arrives. It was a natural thing for Alice and Lee. She’d be there early and cover and he’d be there late. Still Alice’s brow goes up. “Did we have an appointment this morning?”

“No, actually, I’m India Hughes. I stopped by last night to see the rail car. Lee said no way; that I had to come back this morning and dressed in grubbies.”

Alice takes in the brand new jeans and long sleeve t-shirt along with the very expensive leather portfolio. “Walmart the only thing open all night?”

“You know you don’t save quite as much when you factor in cab fare.” India agrees. “I wasn’t really planning on staying more than overnight although I did slot more time.”

“Well let’s get to it then.” Alice opens up the door and flipping on the lights heads to her office. India follows after her to the now familiar office. “Get the coffee started will ya? I’ll get into coveralls.” Alice grabs a pair of coveralls out of a cabinet and goes into the small bathroom, the only women’s bathroom in the place, to get changed. As soon as she is out the coffee is already dripping and she is tapping her feet into steel toed boots and lacing them up. “See an engine dropped on someone’s foot just once and you’ll remember the boots. Keep that in mind when you decide where you’re sticking your hands and feet.”

“No problem.”

“Lee left me a message about a decorator hired by Tracy. Said you had sketches.”

“Right here. I worked on a few more last night after talking to Lee.” India unzip the portfolio.

Alice gets out her glasses. Getting old is a bitch even if she could work her way twice around any of these yahoos that she hired out on the floor to get it done. “Nicely done.” She nods. “Don’t know how much Lee would actually use but nicely done. Let’s go out to the rail car.” Alice heads out to the main warehouse. She is hollaring as soon as she hits the floor. “Coffee is on. Madison is taking delivery on her rig today; it better be done or I’ll be kicking butts. Lee hung the roster before he left last night. Get it done and initialed or I’m going to want to know why!” She strides across the warehouse; India has to half run to keep up.

It had been dark the night before and Lee wouldn’t let her see it so it had been a dark hulk off to the side. Now with the lights on and the light coming in through the upper warehouse window she can see the rail car. It’s definitely a before. “Are you sure you don’t just want to call a priest?” 

Alice laughs at that. “The trucks are fine on it. The undercarriage inspected and passes muster. The rest needs to be brought back to a shell. While it might not be pretty, the folks who put it together originally had the idea on how to put it together. We’re not reinventing the wheel; we’re taking it to the next level with a hundred years of details. They didn’t have satellite and plasma screens. We do now. Mr Q isn’t one for watching TV particularly but he does like watching the tickers for the stock exchange. He doesn’t get into the office much anymore so has to have a good cell service. That way he can tear people a new one by remote. Lee and his other great grand kids have got him on email even set him up with software with voice recognition so he doesn’t have to have a secretary dictating it for him: internet and a computer. You see how it goes?” Alice steps up onto the rail car. The inside is a mess. Today they’d be tearing it back to the shell but luckily the old stuff is all there even if springs are showing and the walls have graffiti on them.

“It was abandoned for a while then.” India runs a hand over the gang tagging.

“Yep. Already been in touch with Twink on that one. She’s got resources in research. Found us a great clear coat paint that doesn’t let anything else be painted on it. So you can just hose off the graffiti. Only problem is the special stuff you have to put on it to repaint but I’m okay with that. We use it on our other rigs and tell the customer’s up front. It lets them know they need to come back to us if they want a new paint job. Going to keep the rail car pretty traditional on the outside. Don’t want to be drawing attention. Want to bring back rail travel not train robbers.”

India laughs at that. She starts getting back to business. Pulling out a tape measure and a notebook, India gets to work taking all the measurements she is going to need. Hesitantly opening drawers and cupboards, she gets an idea of the storage– how it had been done before and the way it could be. At the top front of the car, “This is one of those roomettes. I looked on the amtrak site last night.”

“Right. Look at it now and it’s got a little sink and two seats facing each other. You can put a table in the middle for cards or whatever. And then when night comes around then...” Alice does a quick flip flip of vermin eaten cushions and chipped table. “Tada... bed.” And because there are two chairs got to have another bed. She reaches up and pulls down the other berth. It’s a feat of strength as hinges haven’t been lubricated in years. “Figure this would be good for the great grandkids maybe staff cause Mr Q doesn’t travel without Leticia and Reggie. Although those two are married so you might have to go with a real room for them.” Alice goes into the next room.

This room is set up as two bench seats with a very high backs facing each other-- Kind of a Harry Potter look. India nods. “I know this one. The backs come down. If you do one you have kind of a super single. If you bring them both down it’s a double bed right up against the wall, under the window.”

“Yep. And fold down sinks in every bed space. No fighting for sinks for shaving or putting on paint. Limit on water though so going to have that be a shower downstairs, set up for a roll in. Not that Mr Q needs it yet but railings and a seat would be good– especially if the train is moving. Commodes on both floors. Kitchen on lower level. Everything for Mr Q on the lower level. Top will be the observation area, dining area, family berthing area.”

“How much family would be traveling with him?”

“If Mr Q had his way... all of them.” Alice says wryly. “Minimum travel is going to be The Old Man, Leticia and Reggie. More than likely if he uses it the way we figure, it will be a traveling board room from Port Charles to the City or down to DC. If he ends up going over to Boston that’s going to be see great grandkids– he could be hauling half dozen, dozen over for a football game or a concert or something. He decides to go out to LA and take the train... that could be just Ms Tracy going to see Dillon out there or it could be Kristina that’s plus one or plus six if Baby’s traveling with a full crew. You see where this could actually beat having a jet as far as Mr Q is concerned.”

“Lee said something about a CSMC club on rails.”

Alice shakes her head. “That’s pie in the sky. Yeah, I mentioned something to Baby’s computer guru. The crews from the various cities do like to get together. The next big thing is going to be Pavel Radcliffe giving golf clinics at the CSMC- Iowa branch. There is a senior center there takes care of a lot of elders and the golf course is top of the line as is the spa. If they decided to take the train it would be Toronto, Port Charles, The City, Boston, and DC all coming in together. You’re talking 60 people? If the party started on the train rather than when they arrived in Iowa... we’re talking good times.” Alice winks then adds. “Course Baby would be making money on it... that’s what she does: color runs in the fall; maple syrup or ski trip runs in the winter, probably sporting events—college or pro, cherry blossoms in the spring, honeymoons. Doubt she’d do Florida for spring break. That’s a little too wild. CSMC has a service now called One Phone Call. Hook up the club on rails to that service... it would be booked every week. Cause Mona would be hooking up the rental car or limo service on the other end.”

“Yo Alice! You’re wanted up front!” The casual comment comes over the intercom. 

“You okay here?”

“Yeah, thanks. I’m just going to be taking some measurements. Poking around a little.”

“Well just remember that everything is coming out all the way back to the skin.”

“Thanks. I was hoping you’d say that.” India laughs.

Alice heads out of the car to go see what the hell they’d be paging her for rather than coming to get her. May be kicking some heads today.

* * *

Lee brings his own coffee and a box of danishes he’d stopped and picked up at the local bakery. He gets in about ten and works until the end of the day, normally long hours after everyone else has left. The shop basically keeps hours based on nature, working later during in the summer than during the winter months. Spring is their big time for maintenance on rigs. RV owners getting things up to snuff before heading out on the road. Thing is with upstate New York... heat costs are a bitch and in the summer well hot air rises and there is plenty of space for it to rise in the warehouse. But whatever the time of year-- they work based on what kind of work was to be done. They have million dollar conversions ordered out for two years now.   
One is heading out today... would hopefully be gone by the time he gets in the office. Mrs Madison had driven him freaking nuts constantly changing her mind on things. It had taken finally getting really blunt with her to get her to shut the hell up. He’d told her that one more change and her rig was going to be bumped to the end of the line two years out. If she didn’t like it then he’d refund her deposit and sell the rig to someone else. Mrs. Madison knew he wasn’t kidding and that the rig would be gone within a weekend if she didn’t shut up right then and there. Gordon Radcliffe Tours have a waiting list. Lee and Alice could have had ten couples in looking at it within an afternoon. 

“Lee! I love it! It’s perfect!” A tiny woman with the energy of a hummingbird swarms on him.

Nope. Hadn’t missed her. “It turned out really great, Mrs Madison.”

 

“I know I’ve been a pain...” 

“Oh go on, don’t think I’m going to deny it.” Lee grins at the woman. “You gave me a lot of great ideas, Mrs Madison. Here let me drop these off in Alice’s office before we get mugged by the crew.” She walks to Alice’s office with him and chatters cheerfully happy now that everything is finally happening. Lee sets up the danishes on a table and makes another pot of coffee then going over to Alice’s phone hits the intercom button and then a couple of tones on the phone which announces break time to the crew.   
As soon as he does that, he grabs the keys to the Madison rig and with a hand at Mrs Madison’s waist dodges crew to get to her shiny new prevost conversion RV. They’d do final walk through and paperwork in the customer’s rig. There is a thick binder of manuals and guarantees not only for the rig but for all of the appliances. There is a maintenance book for which Lee threatens dire consequences if it’s not filled out with every fueling. And he also provides a decorative magnet with the phone number and email address for a service they contract.

“What’s this?”

“It’s called OnePhoneCall. They have a website and a 24 hour service. First year is on us. There is a list of the services they provide on their website but really I wanted you to have it in case you have any problems– where ever you are. I don’t care if it’s the Grand Canyon or a show up in Seattle. Mona will be able to hook you up with roadside assistance and she has the shop cell number. Whether it’s walking a local mechanic through or coming out ourselves we’ll make sure you’re back on the road. You might want to put it on your fridge.” Lee points to the fridge in the kitchen area. “You’re going to have to remember to do the regular maintenance and Mona will contact you at about the 11 month mark for a full going over and inspection. We’ll want to make sure everything is checked inside the one year guarantee period make sure everything is working at 100%.”

Mrs Madison nods. She puts the manuals back exactly where Lee had taken then from so that they are in their proper spot. She puts the maintenance log up by the driver’s seat and the magnet on the fridge. She hands over the cashier’s check for the balance owing on the rig and takes a deep breath. “I’m ready.” 

“Okay. Then let’s get you in the driver’s seat.” Lee grins. He loves this part. Mrs Madison has owned rigs for years because of her job. She’s a professional dog handler going to shows all over the country. He doesn’t have to take her out on the road– just open up the big doors. He watches as she adjusts the seat to be just right so that she can see everything and still reach the pedals. Like a pilot, Mrs Madison goes through the prep list and then starts it up. The rumble of the big diesel engine fills the air. Lee steps off the bus and going over to the big doors hits the lift switch so that within a minute, Mrs Madison is on her way... and out of his hair.

Alice comes over to him as the doors are coming back down. “Thought we’d never get rid of that one. Took an extra 45 days because of her this and that.”

“She’s not that bad.” Lee counters. “I just can’t believe she shows Newfoundlands. They are bigger than she is. I checked out those dogs when I was planning her rig. One hundred fifty pounds of hairy drool. First time I’ve ever put a dog grooming station in the undercarriage of a rig.”

“It did impact on what we used in the rig. The air conditioning unit is more like a walk in cooler and everything in her rig had to be able to be mopped.” Alice quips.

“You save me a danish?” Lee asks changing the subject.

Alice shakes her head. “And I’d feel guilty about that cept for the whole you had one in the bakery when you were picking them up.” 

“I’m a growing boy.” Lee protests. Going into Alice’s office the break time extends into the company daily meeting. There is a new addition to the schedule. Mrs Madison’s trade in rig. “Okay I need someone without dog allergies to do the detail and trade inspection. Need to know what needs to be done on it before it can be posted on Ebay.” 

One of the guys grimaces but then raises his hand. Some days it just doesn’t pay to not be allergic to dogs. “I can do it.”

“Thanks.” Lee nods. “And now for a drumroll please...” There is a rapid tapping on the conference table as Lee pulls out the eight by ten framed photo of Mrs Madison’s rig with the dog grooming station exposed and the door open. The picture is hung on the brag wall and a binder of pictures of the process is taken from Alice’s desk and put in a book case behind her desk. Mrs Madison is done and it’s on to the next one. “Let’s hit it. Oh and if you need help with Mrs Madison’s trade in... go ahead and call Jimmy and Rafe.” Lee mentions his 15 year old cousins, Kyle and Maxie’s youngest. “They have dogs so I know they aren’t allergic and have soccer this summer. They will want to pick up some spending money for doing the detail work in their off hours.”

* * *

Taking the rail car apart is a chore in itself it’s done roughly and quickly with a lot of clatter as metal hits the floor of the shop. That could be another of Jimmy and Rafe’s jobs when they showed up. Sorting stuff into recycling or the trash. They have to get the rail car back to it’s skin find out if there was any rusted out or weak spots, weld in the fix and then work from there. He’s already got a good idea where everything is going to go even if he doesn’t know what color it is going to be... but sounds like Hill and Aunt Tracy had taken that one out of his hands. The systems are going to be very similar to one of the regular rigs but they didn’t have the same weight restrictions.   
But first things first. Everything had to be out. And for now that is Lee’s job. If any of the crew had a spare hour while they were waiting for a delivery or for another crew to get out of their way so they could get to work they join him in the tear down. They might like building things but sometimes getting out the crowbar is just more fun especially the clatter when something hefty hit the deck. Of course there are pauses along the way as something really interesting was discovered, turned over and back and then cast out. Even in the heat of the day everyone is wearing eye and breathing protection, long sleeve coveralls and gloves. Because nobody would be surprised if there is mouse dirt in just about every nook and cranny even if the mice had moved out long before the car had been hauled into the shop. As soon as everything is out the cleaning crew would hit it sweeping and scrubbing. Once it’s a clean canvas then the work would begin. 

By the time noon rolls around, Lee’s undershirt is dripping with sweat and he knows he isn’t going to be able to get seated anywhere for lunch, even Kelly’s. He heads up to his office. He unzips the coverall to the waist and slips out of it letting it hang at his hips. He pulls his soaked white t-shirt over his head and drops it on his duffle to be taken home. Then going into his bathroom puts his head under the faucet to cool off and then drying off comes back into his office noticing for the first time that someone is sitting at this desk and watching him with interest. “What the hell are you doing here?!”

“Enjoying the show.” India quips. “Please don’t let me stop you.” If he was a little bit younger she might feel guilty but not by much. The young man is ripped with a well- defined muscles and perfect V body shape with a very interesting treasure trail leading from his belly button, an inny, down beyond where the coveralls are zipped. He isn’t huge, not like a body builder. “Swimmer?”

Lee reaches for another t-shirt from the stack he keeps in the same cabinet as his spare coveralls. He pulls it on over his head quickly. “Yeah, my parents’ place is on the lake. What are you doing here?”

“You told me to come back in the morning to see the railcar. Alice showed me through. This seemed to be the quietest place to get things done.”

“Yeah, that’s why it’s my office.” Lee retorts. He comes over to see that India has been busy. There are not only new drawings but it looks like she’s come up with something for Baby’s party train. “Working on spec now?”

India shrugs. “It’s an interesting idea– and I’m in the right place to get a meeting with her. CSMC isn’t exactly decorating a house in the Hamptons but they do a lot of work. I’d love to know who their designer is.”

“Good luck with that.” Lee shrugs. “Alice might be able to arrange a meeting she’s known Baby since she was a baby. But cold calling... Baby doesn’t exactly take calls. She’s got lots of layers before you ever get in a room with her.”

“I’m familiar with the process.” India returns the shrug. “So, buy you lunch?”


	3. Chapter 3

The shell is intact. And it’s time for the next step. India Hughes had brought the new sketches to Tracy and Hill. This time with his initials on a couple of them. That way they’d know which of the sketches they are more likely to get through Lee as they have already been pre-approved. The final drawing had been messengered to him along with the detailed materials information on what would need to go into the railcar. He and Alice had a fun time with that pulling the specs apart since both of them are hands on rather than school trained. 

It’s one of the things he does in the first couple of hours before he has to go to work... study for various tests to at least an apprentice level electrician among other things. That is what is going up on his wall, his certificates as he works through the things he needs in order to get it done. Alice did the same thing keeping up her certificates for auto mechanics. Since he’s more about the rigs, he’d gone for diesel mechanics for his first certificate. Once he had that he’d gone for the others. There are specialists down on the floor: wiring, plumbing, furniture upholstery guys, painters some have certificates and some are just good. Alice has been building this team for over ten years, he joined the party five years ago as a scut worker just trying to convince his parents he was responsible enough for a car. 

Alice and Mouse had built the system, long before he’d come on board. Alice might not do laptop computers but she is aces with the inventory management handheld. She can go through a rig and ID what needs to be done, with the handheld just thumbing and clicking. Mouse had entered the list of items commonly used from motor oil to transmissions. It’s excellent for estimates, shop scheduling and planning which is more what Lee does since he’s can do the computer jockeying when needed.

The rail car is going to be a little bit different because they can use regular furniture in it as well as all the built ins that they normally do. If this takes off then there might be a market to call it normal but right now it’s a mix of normal and flying by the seat of their pants.

First in with the fresh spaces are the guys building the supports for walls. Some walls would be flexible and able to be taken out to expand rooms but there are a few that are permanent and the anchors for the plumbing and the electrical harness that would be run through the car. In the bowels of the car would be a diesel generator for power as well as rechargeable batteries that would feed off the generator and the solar power collectors on the roof of the car. The major appliances in the kitchen-- propane and built for RVs rather than houses. The washer dryer is actually a european model that they used in the RVs too. It’s one unit that did both wash and dry with very little water.

And of course he is in charge of progress reports to everyone involved in the railcar: Baby, Lydia and AJ, Dillon, Ned, Tracy, Mom, Twink, Hill and now India Hughes. Since Baby had come through with the car, Lydia and AJ are funding the major renovations and the rest have pitched in enough to have an opinion. India wanted progress pictures to know when she could start really putting together the interior. His contribution to Grandpa Edward’s present is his labor hours. He and Alice are both pitching in those. But any crew working on the railcar weren’t doing it for free, that’s for damn sure. So every hour worked and material added is all part of the binder.

“Don’t bother with mine.” India says from the doorway.

“I thought you were back in The City.”

“I was, and now I’m not.” India says wryly. “Baby came through with an appointment. I’m supposed to meet her somewhere called Flynn’s?”

“It’s not too far from here actually.” Lee lets her know as he leans back in his office chair. “Couple blocks from the Harrison Pier. It’s below Kelly’s diner. It’s apartments, the diner and then down in the basement is Flynn’s. Used to be a speak easy back in the roaring twenties. Baby worked there back when she was in high school.”

“Kristina Ashton worked in a bar back in high school.” India says disbelievingly with raised brows.

“She kinda had an in with the owner.”

“And who was that?”

“Kristina Ashton.” Lee’s voice is wry. “You see where it might be an advantage.”

“Sure if you wanted to work in a bar.” India agrees.

“CSMC has clubs in every city they are in. It’s a tradition. According to my dad, Flynn’s was the stepping stone of that. Faith Ashton brought it on line when Baby wasn’t even a toddler. It and the properties down on Courtland street around Chloe Morgan park were the seeds of the company.”

“You know a lot about the company.”

Lee shrugs. “Baby is a cousin. My dad, because he owns a bar, was a resource when Baby was just starting out. And he doesn’t mind being a sounding board for ideas... so he’s been it all along. If there is a problem with any of the clubs they are just as likely to call my dad since they know Baby will probably call him anyway. My sister Chandy is big with CSMC– talent down in Boston. And CSMC bought a lot of my first rigs after they saw what Alice put together for Mayday. I almost went to work for Baby at Flynn’s back in high school when I was contemplating my car insurance. Baby found out that I was interested in rehabbing a rail car and found one that had already been cleared by amtrak. So all I’d have to do is rehab it.”

“All?!” India laughs at that. “It is looking a lot better than the last time I saw it that’s for sure.”

“Tear downs are a good therapy.” Lee suggests.

“And you know therapy?” India jokes then quickly apologizes. “Sorry, that was inappropriate.”

“Probably. But yeah, I know therapy. From the time I was ten until I started working for Alice. The doc meant well I’m sure but I feel like I got more out of working with Alice.” Lee can read India’s face well enough to know she wants to ask but figures it will be rude. “Come here.” He rolls up his sleeve. And exposes the underside. The scars have faded but they are still there if you’re looking for them. He runs one finger up the inside of his arm stopping over the scars and then turning over the other arm so India can see there are scars on it too now that she knows what to look for. “I was adopted when I was ten. I have more than Bill or Hillary, I’m the oldest and took the heat when I could but we’ve all got them and we’ve all spent our time with the shrinks because of it.”

“That’s horrible.” India is appalled. 

“It could have been worse. We could have not been adopted.” Lee counters.

* * *

Baby recognizes the woman entering Flynn’s mostly by the leather portfolio she is carrying. It’s the same way Marco recognizes her as well. Going to the foyer of the former speakeasy, now sports bar that seems to specialize in races of any kind: horse, dog even camel. At the booths are flatscreens, tuned to the patrons race of choice but also sports memorabilia, racing silks or in some --pictures of greyhounds in hand made sweaters.

“India Hughes?” Marco inquires just to be sure.

“Yes?”

“Right this way.” Marco leads the designer back to the owner’s table. Here there is no flatscreen on the wall. Instead it is a built into the table and it’s a full functioning computer that connects easily to Mouse out on the island. The table is big enough to stretch out and actually get some work done.

Baby normally works from home but she also doesn’t particularly like to have people she doesn’t know dropping by. If she did then she wouldn’t live on a private island. Baby extends a hand first directing India Hughes to take a seat and then shakes the other woman’s hand. They are about the same age. “I’ve received good reports from both my grandmother, Tracy Quartermaine and Alice Gordon about your work. Not an easy task. I can’t think of anything they’ve agreed on... ever.” Baby says wryly.

India grins at that. “Thank you for meeting with me, Ms Ashton.”

“Call me Baby.” 

India controls the wince as she takes a seat. Calling a grown woman Baby just seems wrong.

“If you work much with CSMC– you’ll get used to it.” Baby says wryly. “I have. May I?” She refers to the portfolio.

“Of course.” India opens up the portfolio making sure that it’s right side up to the head of CSMC. “There are some sketches from the rail car interior that Tracy Quartermaine commissioned for your grandfather’s present. There are also samples of work I’ve done and the last is something that Alice Gordon indicated might be a possibility– a party rail car?”

“Really?” Baby grins and flips to the back. “Hey Marco, come look at this.” 

Marco comes over and leaving over the back of the booth on Baby’s side. “Damn, Baby.. What’s that? Something to go to the games up in Toronto? Fancy is going to love it.”

“Fancy?”

“My daughter.” Baby flips to another sketch of the party bus. “She’s working out in LA.”

Must have heard that one wrong. This woman isn’t old enough to have a daughter old enough to be working, let alone working 3000 miles away. “Alice Gordon indicates it might be handy for a company railcar but that it could also be leased out to something called One Phone Call? For fall color trips, winter ski trips, cherry blossoms in Washington, DC? And then of course for the sporting events.”

“Alice is really the reason why you got the meeting.” Baby flips to a different picture. “She gave me a call too. You impressed her with your willingness to get your hands dirty going through Grandfather’s present.”

“I have to respect the vision of Lee and Alice. Honestly my first impression of the railcar, I wouldn’t have been seeing what it could be. I would have kept on walking; I’m used to either new construction or brick and mortar remodels. But given the task of doing the remodel on the railcar... it’s been very interesting. Definitely a space challenge.”

Baby nods. “Space challenge is actually something else that Lee and Alice have been doing... more Lee than Alice. They’ve come up with a format for converting used shipping containers– you know the steel overseas containers?” Baby waits until she sees India’s nod. “They’ve been converting them into emergency shelters for natural disasters. They can be transported by truck or rail. The shells are steel rather than the tin of the normal FEMA trailers. And evidently already come with hardwood floors... so no worries about the glue and new carpeting poisoning people.”

India blinks. “That’s Lee?! He’s never said anything! He was written up in a design magazine... I never put the two together.” 

“I’d say Lee, Hill and Twink too. Hill was using commercial software to design them. Twink has access to a lot of new technologies coming out of MIT and Lee would build it. How to pack things down to the quarter inch while not making making the occupants feel claustrophobic.” Baby keeps flipping through the designs in the portfolio. She’s now in what India has done before both residential and commercial. India would be a handy person to have around a real estate management company. Their units are normally pre-sold because of the CSMC and the security that goes along with the name but these are very nice. She would have been handy when she’d been remodeling Spoon Island. “How much do you know about CSMC?”

India shrugs. She’s still trying to bring together Lee, the kid with L. Radcliffe whose work had been featured in dwell magazine. “I live and work in The City. I’ve seen your buildings. They aren’t Trump tower but I think that is intentional.” There is a hint of a question in that.

“Very much so. We’re.... self-financed and always have been.” Baby admits. “So we grow at a much more... reasoned rate. Some years more than others.” She can see the question in India’s eyes. “Because we are self-financed the biggest years are actually the worst years for others. When banks are going under and mortgage companies are losing their shirts... when speculators are getting stuck with buildings for sale but no buyers.” Baby nods. “Our spaces are largely presold, so it’s a matter of getting the very best deal for our people.”

“So you’re risking your own money rather than someone else’s. And minimizing the risk because you’ve created your own market.”

“Pretty much.” Baby has reached the front of the portfolio and is looking at the sketches of Edward’s railcar. She easily picks out the final drawing. Baby taps a few keys to get Mouse’s attention. She’d told the computer guru who her appointment was with. It’s a quick sentence. >> She hits enter and clears the screen. 

India knows that Baby did something on her computer keyboard but not what. “It sounds like a very... organic way of doing business.”

“That’s a kind way of putting it.” Baby laughs. “Another of my aunts, not Tracy, actually compares it to Locusts-- which may or may not be a step up from Vultures. I’m interested in the party train idea. Alice has the right idea. It’s going to be used for groups probably not for sleep overs. So that can be minimized. Maybe one sleeping area. I like to cook.”

“A lot.” Marco interjects. “And well.”

“Thanks, Marco.” Baby accepts the compliment.

“No, thank you, Boss.” Marco focuses on India. “So if we having a branch meeting on rails, it would be after a meal– 12 to 15 guys one table and no business discussed until after. And if we were going to ball game... then it would be tailgate food the whole way. You getting it? Yeah, put in the bar but Baby has to have a kitchen she can work in and talk to people while she’s working. You know?”

“Lee is designing the current railcar with a lot of berthing areas but it’s a clear design with your grandfather’s private areas being on the first level and then the group areas being above. From my research the kitchen on these rails have a lot in common with a rabbit hutch. It isn’t the priority.”

“It would be for me.” Baby informs India as if she hadn’t already figured it out. “I’d like to commission you for the project. If it works out then maybe there will be something else in the future.” Baby names a sum. It’s very generous. “Lee and Alice will be working on Grandfather’s car but I’ll have them on the look out for another that can be rehabbed.”


	4. Chapter 4

Fish out of water. Cole Radcliffe looks over at a young woman who is looking at a piece of paper in her hand in disbelief. Finally she tucks the paper in a side pocket of her purse and comes over to the bar. “Excuse me.”

“Lost?” 

“Maybe. I must have gotten the address wrong. Lee Radcliffe said he lives here?”

Not that Cole normally minds his tenant’s business but this one is his son. “Apartment upstairs. Why don’t I give him a ring see if he’s home from work yet.”

“I checked at the shop but he was already gone, and I know he normally works late.” India looks around the bar that brings Dive to mind. There is soccer memorabilia hanging on the walls and a BIG screen TV. There are pool tables and a juke box but this place definitely catered to the working man.

“You have company down here.” Cole says into his cell then hangs up. “He’ll be right down. What can I get for you?” 

“Seabreeze?” India says not knowing if she’s going to get her head bitten off or not. This place really looks like either a beer or shots establishment.

“Coming right up.”

India watches as Cole Radcliffe skillfully combines the vodka, cranberry juice, grapefruit juice and even adds on the wedge of grapefruit for garnish to the highball style glass. “Thanks.”

“So how do you know my son?”

India blinks in mid sip and coughs. “Your son.”

“Uh huh.”

Lee comes up behind India unnoticed. “Dad, This is India Hughes. She’s the designer Tracy brought on for Grandpa Edward’s car.”

Cole pours his son a coke and grabs his own coffee. “Heard you got hired to do some work for CSMC too. They haven’t had someone on interiors really stateside since Manny retired to Australia. Brittany Slade helped a bit back in the day but she’s got her hands full with her galleries. Anders pretty much does the best he can but the branches normally hire local. Baby must have been doing a jig.” Cole feathers his hair back with one hand and ties it back in a elastic to keep it out of his eyes.

“You think it was planned.” India looks from Cole to Lee. The two men look at each other and smirk. “It couldn’t have been planned. There is no way.”

“Honey, when it comes to money and business– Baby works the angles faster than Minnesota Fats. Tracy just did the leg work for her.”

“Is he right?”

Lee shrugs. “I haven’t looked at your calendar. So tell me where did you email me from last week....” Lee looks from India to his father.

“Chicago.” India answers and looks at Cole too since Lee is.

“Uh huh. Guy named Marshall Wilson with you?”

“Uh huh. Big Dawg Landscaping. Baby wanted to look at some property around some vacant lots. Said she was going to turn it into a park.”

“Chloe Morgan?” Lee inquires to his father recognizing the model. CSMC had a habit of going with what had worked for them in the past.

“That’s my bet.” Cole agrees. “It worked down on Courtland Street. Chicago has some great houses in seriously crappy neighborhoods. Take over put some CSMC security on it put in a presence. The Chicago branch is already growing. There isn’t enough housing for the business they have going there already. Maeve has been going gang busters at the distribution hub. They have been expanding and hiring locally rather than bringing in CSMC from outside.”

“There isn’t enough security in the world. These were in a seriously scary neighborhood; I wanted a bullet proof vest just being there. And this Dawg person was getting out and checking everything out and having me taking pictures and putting in something called sight lines.”

“India, you may have taken the pictures but you don’t have the big picture. Do you have the pictures you took?”

“I’ve got the card in my bag.”

“Dad?”

“Yeah, go ahead. But we better be done in half an hour because Manchester is playing Liverpool in an hour.”

“Shit you’re going to put me to work, aren’t you? Those guys are crazy.”

Cole just grins. “I didn’t know you were going to have a date.”

India has the card out and hands it to Lee who goes over to the projector below the big screen. He puts in the card and starts up a slideshow of India’s pictures. As they start cycling through. “What do you think, Dad?”

Cole comes out from behind the bar. He nods. “It would work. Pause that one. See how the streets on either side of the lot are actually more like alleys? Solid barrier to the height of a 5 year old here at the main street access. Lila always liked those raised beds with the handicap access. More solid barriers until the changes take hold. Gazebo about here.” He indicates with a hand.

“No place for the movie screen.” Lee looks at it critically. He’d been going to movies in the Chloe Morgan Park for as long as he’d lived with Cole and Skye. It is just as much a tradition as lazy Sunday mornings reading the Herald.

“What in the hell are you talking about?!”

“You never did go down to Courtland Street to check out the real estate down there before your first interview with Baby?”

“I’m more familiar with the work down in the City.” There is more than a hint of defensive in India’s answer.

“Baby’s great grandmother, Lila Quartermaine was big into gardens, garden societies, community gardens that kind of thing.” Lee explains

“The last community garden she worked on was called the Chloe Morgan Memorial Park. It was in one of the worst neighborhoods in Port Charles called Courtland Street.” Cole expands.

“Courtland Street Management Corp.” India makes the connection.

“Uh Huh.” Cole agrees with a nod. “Buy up all the properties around the vacant lot while they’re cheap– especially if there are a few shell casings in the lot. Turn the Vacant lot into a community garden or park– Courtland Street has a kid’s playground, a gazebo and they had a blank wall to the park that was whitewashed so that movies could be projected up against it when the weather was decent. My wife took the kids to a lot of movies there on Saturday nights when I was at work here. Always G maybe a PG. Limit the speed with which people can access the park, make sure that there are barriers in place to protect the kids from being snatched easily. Make it handicap accessible– Lila was in a wheel chair for the last half of her life.”

“Take the properties around the park and gut them put in the upgrades– furnace, plumbing, electrical. Then make the real living space face the park redo the fire escapes so that they are balconies. Big enough to have a little table and chairs and come with planters so that the buildings look as good from the park as the park looks from the buildings.”

“Where was this anyway?” Cole asks.

“Place called Roseland Park.”

Cole snorts. “It’s a done deal.”

* * *

Two hours later, Lee is helping back in the kitchen so Cole and the barmaids can keep up with the vocal soccer crowd. He glances over to the corner and sees India in a totally different world ignoring the whole room. She’s got her laptop with the digital pictures of Chicago and now with the feedback from Lee and Cole is taking the fear of the neighborhood out of the equation and just going with what the neighborhood could be. She’d done a search on Lila Quartermaine’s name and come up with three different roses that had been named by the woman as well as another three that had been named for her including one by Marshall T Wilson of Dawg Landscaping. 

Which lead to a search on Dawg Landscaping which did most of their work here in Port Charles and outlying areas but Marshall T seemed to take vacations on occasion and they always seem to be CSMC sites like Perth, a few towns in Costa Rica, and locations down in Florida. His work is heavy into water features and edibles. Evidently Marshall T liked gardens and landscapes that produced whether it was fruit, food or flowers. And because he is based out of Port Charles he knows what does well in colder climes. And because he believes in eating what he grows has numerous articles co-authored with his wife, Sally, about the evils of pesticides. He figures that if they are bad for the bugs it’s probably bad for the people too. Course doing a search on Marshall T also comes up with a bunch of awards from the Mayor for his work with Meals on Wheels, the local soup kitchens and something called the Gleaners.

“My mom works on that one.” Lee looks over India’s shoulder. “She says it keeps her sane. She spends so much time on the computer it’s her excuse to get out into the sunshine complete with floppy brimmed hat and her gardening apron. Marshall T’s wife, Sally, is about as good at Mom at the organizing. She has her father’s book of restaurants, stores and the like they get the day old from. Sally worked for AJ Quartermaine when they lived here in Port Charles and then for Kyle Radcliffe. All of my cousins do their turns in the community garden too. Part of their Queen of Angels charity work whether it was working in the garden or in the kitchen for Meals on Wheels.

“Saw a mobile pantry online that looked like it might be up your alley– a converted beer truck of all things.” India looks up at Lee.

“Yeah, got one on the drawing board. But it doesn’t pay the bills. Alice has her ear to the ground in case one is about to be junked that could be brought up to snuff with a little TLC. Working on a CAT5 rig now– mobile office complete with Satellite internet link. Going to be for the insurance companies.”

Cole takes a two minute break as he’s walking around the tables collecting empties and jawing with the customers. “That is going to come in handy not just in a hurricane areas. Handy thing to have for any kind of natural disaster– flood, twister earthquake...” Cole shrugs and keeps moving.

“I can’t believe you live here.” India shakes her head in disbelief. “How do you sleep?”

“It’s normally not this crazy.” Lee looks around. “Well Friday and Saturday for sure and then on Soccer nights depending on who is playing. Kyle retired long time ago but while he was playing all the games were on Satellite here and with the port there are a lot of ex-pats who need their futbol fix. They started coming while Kyle was playing and kept coming after he retired. If I had to get up early to get to work it might be a problem but Alice has that covered.”

Cole comes back from the other direction and slides in a little comment of his own. “Of course that would be true if he wasn’t out of here every morning at 7am on his way to class. Got his diesel mechanics certificate and is working on his electrical now.” Cole keeps moving.

“You’re blushing.” India looks at Lee.

“It’s hot in here. I have to get back.”

“He’s proud of you. That’s a good thing.”

“I have to get back.” Lee picks up some dishes and the like from a nearby table and heads back to the kitchen area.

Cole heads back to the table this time he brings his coffee and has a seat at the two top India has taken over with her laptop and notes. “Howzit going?”

“You embarrassed him.”

“He’s a good guy. One of my kids I actually understand.” Cole laughs. “Hill is working on being a mogul and Bill does comic books, excuse me, graphic novels for fun and political cartoons for his spending money. So you’ve had a couple of hours now-- show me what you got.”

“I haven’t drawn anything but I’ve been collecting inspiration pictures.” And setting them into a slide show format so that she can flip through them the same way as she had the pictures Dawg had taken. She sets the slide show in motion and Cole just keeps a hand on the back of her chair watching the pictures go by. He can see what the commonality is. It seems to be color and pictures of old European neighborhoods complete with balconies, wrought iron and shutters. They all have a classic been there forever look.

“Baby is going to love it.”


	5. Chapter 5

“No.” Lee is already shaking his head. Since he’d been in a conversation with Alice and India and it came out of the blue they both look at him like he’d grown another head. “No, No, NO. Forget it.”

Alice looks over her shoulder to who Lee is looking at and cracks into a grin. “You’re on your own, boy.” She walks off but stays a close enough to hear everything.

India looks over her shoulder to see a lean tall woman striding toward Lee with a purpose. “Who is that?”

“That is Lucy Coe.” Lee mutters along with an explanation. “She’s been a ball buster for the last thirty years.”

“You can run but you can’t hide, Lee Radcliffe. I’ve already talked to your mother.”

If his life was a movie his next utterance would make it an R rather than PG. Then he forces his company manners. “Hey Ms Coe.”

“Your mother says Bill will be home in time for the Nurses’ ball. So don’t think you can get around me. And Father Quartermaine is already on board. You know Alan was my favorite ex husband. I think Edward is looking forward to it.”

“Which means that Hill has already signed off.” He can feel the trap closing around him.

“Exactly.”

“I’m really busy here at work. We’ve got the buses. And I’m redoing a rail car too.”

“I heard from your mother. Very exciting. Hi, I’m Lucy Coe.” Lucy sticks her hand out in India’s direction.

“India Hughes.” She takes Lucy’s hand impressed by the woman’s grip and the firm way she shakes her hand and then goes on never letting her prey get away.

“All we really need is you, Lee. If I have Bill, Edward and Hill. You’re the only real hold out. I know it would be nice to have Stanley and Chandy but you four are the core of the group.”

“Mom told you Bill would be back in Port Charles. She didn’t say he would do it. And don’t think that I won’t call him and tell him that it would be best if he went straight from Paris to Boston and not come home until Thanksgiving.”

Lucy’s eyes narrow at the threat. “Your mother and I had a long conversation. Evidently your brother found a new hobby over in France. Skye is kind of concerned but she’s a worrier. I, on the other hand, have no problem emailing your brother and telling him all about Casino night as part of the Nurses’ ball and the fact that since it’s for charity that over 21 thing doesn’t apply.”

“Nurses’ Ball?” India whispers but it is Lucy Coe is the one who answers.

“Yes it’s a General Hospital fund raiser. It started as a way of helping people with HIV and AIDS and that’s still the major reason we get together every year. The monies go to outreach to make sure people afflicted are being taken care of. GH has one of the best wings in the NE for the immunio challenged. Of course the total goal is to keep people out of the hospital, or there as little as possible. And the nurse’s ball funds that outreach making sure that people are doing well... at home. Alice! Don’t go anywhere! I needed to talk to you too...”

“I already have a car in mind for the silent auction. That’s all you’re getting out of me, Lucy Coe.”

“Yes!” Lucy makes a quick note. “I’ll want pictures as soon as it’s done so that I can use it for advertising.”

“What does she want you to do?” India mutters toward Lee keeping her voice down.

But it isn’t far enough. “Lee and his siblings have a fabulous act that they’ve done the last couple years at the Nurse’s ball. Why they’d be practically headliners. They would definitely be headlining if Stanley and Chandy sit in.”

“Stanley and Chandy.” India repeats and remembers the pictures on Alice’s wall of a particular bus. “Aren’t they on tour?”

“I’m in contact with Paul over at CSMC- talent. And Skye gave me Chandy’s cell phone number. I mean really how often does Stanley get to play the spoons? He loves it.”

Lee is just shaking his head. “I did my thing last year, and two years before that. Come on. When do I get to just watch everyone else make an ass of themselves?”

“What kind of act is this?” India asks.

“Hill, Bill, Lee Radcliffe– what kind of act do you think it is– Root Music of course!” Lucy grins. “I was a total non-believer the first time they performed but the audience loved it. Edward on the jug. Bill on the guitar.”

“What do you play?”

“Washboard.” Lee mutters.

India looks to his stomach and grins. “Appropriate.”

“I have to get to work.” Lee has more than a hit of annoyance in it.

And Lucy knows it. “I’ll be back then. Alice, do you have any pictures of this car you’re doing? I have to get over to Jenson, Campbell and Winthrop to talk to Dara.” She and Alice head to the office.

Lee heads toward the rail car. It doesn’t stop him from harassing the staff on his way. “None of you guys could come up with an emergency, or a phone call or something?! I am going to remember this.”

India tails him to the rail car. It’s amazing how much progress has already been made. The car is totally cleared out to the walls and has been painted a black first coat on the exterior and the interior painted as well but just a base protective coat waiting for everything else to go in. There is a wire harness hanging at the front of the car and she knows from the plans that it will run along the roof of the car and then shoot off to all the electrical needs. “It sounds cute– jug, spoons, guitar, washboard. Who plays the harmonica, your little sister?”

“I do.” Lee sighs. “The washboard is more of a joke really. Hill is the one that came up with the idea. One summer, we went to see where mom’s adopted family came from. It’s a place called Pigeon Hollow, pronounced hollar, Pennsylvania. Coal mining town. She has some contact with that side of the family but not so much. Dad isn’t crazy about them. They’re nuts. Anyway we happened to be visiting Pigeon Hollow when they were having some kind of festival. This started when I was in high school beginning of my senior year.”

“Ouch.” India winces. “You went the whole senior year with that being your... tag? Hillbilly Radcliffe?” 

“Jokes about moonshine, deliverance. Yeah, fun. I hated high school and was really glad to start working on my certificates even before I was out. I have the diploma because mom would have killed me without it and Alice would have fired me.”

“It was brutal.” India remembers her own high school experience. Even though she’d been one of the more popular kids she knew that it was fickle and she could have ended up being one of the tortured with just one bit of gossip or rumor that went viral. “I’m a firm believer in that cliché that if High School was the best years of your life than you’re not doing it right. Everyone gets tortured. It’s just in different ways.”

“Yeah, I know. But the Hillbilly Radcliffe’s just made it that much easier. And a hell of a lot harder to avoid the crap.”

“Your little sister is still in high school, and she’s the first one on board?”

“It’s a well-known fact that my sister will do anything for Grandpa Edward. It’s lesser known fact that he will do the same for her. Hillary will try anything that has a hat involved. Hill and our cousin Elena did all the costumes including a hat for Hill. She picked the music. My dad hooked her up with Winona, a dance teacher for an appropriate dance to go along with the music. Hill is up to her ears in this. Because of Hill’s hat addiction she’s always been the school weirdo.”

India looks at him as if she can’t believe he just said that.

“She’d be the first to admit it. My sister has a spine of steel and prescription rose colored glasses. You know Aunt Tracy. Can you think of any other explanation?! Dr. Cam would probably say that Hill doesn’t get her validation from high school. She’s getting through her own way and probably smiling with a big old underlying FU.”

“Um... dating? Socializing?”

“She’s got some good friends and they travel in a pack. But Chandy clued her in that she might as well forget about dating until she was in college because no normal teenage boy could stand up to my father.” 

“Your dad doesn’t seem that bad.”

“You’re not his daughter. If you ever get a chance talk to the guys in Mayday about being in a band with my sister and ask them about my dad.” 

“How did your brother Bill deal with it? Didn’t he get the same kind of abuse for being part of the act?”

“Bill worked on the school paper doing editorial cartoons. Anyone coming after him got Bill’s own brand of payback. Always true, funny and totally humiliating.”

“What about your cousins... Kyle and his family?”

“I think that Lucy figures they’ve done their time. The first couple of years after they moved back to Port Charles they closed the show... instead of the von Trapp family singers it was Kyle, Maxie and crew. Maxie still gets roped into the silent auction for some dress or a closet make over or something.”

“But your mom and dad haven’t gotten roped into it?”

“Mom cuts the Nurse’s ball a check– two– one personal and the other from the paper. I think Dad offered to find Lucy some pole dancers and she believed him and backed off.”

India had been taking a drink off a water bottle and spews at that.

* * *

That afternoon when India gets back to her Port Charles studio space, she logs on to You Tube and tries to figure what key phrase to use on her search. Nurse’s ball didn’t work, not with General Hospital or Port Charles either. There were just too many. Finally she goes with Hillbilly Radcliffes. Then she gets to see a number of versions of what appears to be two appearances at the Nurse’s ball. She sorts through trying to find something that showed everything but they’d been taped at the show so none are the best quality. 

Lee is such a kid in the first one, only 17, but definitely Lee. Lee had explained at one point that his mother insisted that all her kids play musical instruments and by the time of this performance, Lee would have already been taking music lessons for seven years– starting on the piano and then switching to the guitar and evidently the harmonica. She recognizes Lee’s little sister and can’t help but laugh when she sees Edward Quartermaine in a beard reaching to his belt buckle wearing a beat up hat and rocking on what appears to be a rocking chair as old as he is. If she isn’t mistaken Edward had even given a yee haw in the middle of the performance that set the audience to laughing and clapping along with the performance. 

The next appearance at the Nurse’s ball is the one with the guest appearances by Chandy Radcliffe and Stanley Marshall from Mayday. Stanley had pulled out a couple of well-worn spoons and made a production of breathing on them and then polishing them up. Chandy hadn’t sung but instead had played guitar with Bill. Could be another reason why Bill hasn’t gotten as much of a ration as Lee had. Sure, he might have been on the school newspaper but he’d also... jammed with Stan and Chandy from Mayday. It wouldn’t matter so much that the music is old time mountain music.

* * *

The nurse’s ball is going to happen that is a sure thing. Hill knows she can’t wait until Lee and Bill agreed to reprise their act to get her stuff together. She has her weekly music lessons and her Muay Thai lessons and she’s working full time at ELQ here in Port Charles. It’s a good thing it’s summer, there is no way she’d be able to practice a routine and get it done before the Nurse’s ball. One of the guys in the mail room drove her to the dance studio on his way home and Daddy Cole would pick her up from the studio after finishing up the day shift at Jakes. Daddy had already said maybe it was time for her to have a better plan as far as transportation if she was going to pack her days the way they’d been going and she supposes he does have a point. She has her driver’s license and an account with the local taxi company as well as a bus pass. She gets around but there is a lot of hurry up and wait even if she can actually get a lot of thinking done while letting someone else do the driving.

“Thanks for the lift.”

“No problem, I’ll see you at work. Bright and early, they are having that big meeting tomorrow afternoon. We’re going to spend the morning prepping the room.”

“I’ll be there.” Hill carefully shuts the door after grabbing her workout bag. Normally it’s filled with her martial arts gear but right now its dance shoes, and clothes she can get sweaty in. She strides up to the counter and announces her name and brings out her card for the studio. Mom insisted on paying for the studio time because to her this was continuation of the music lessons she insisted on for all her kids. Grandpa Edward paid for her Muay Thai lessons giving her a pat on the hand and reminding her that he might need her lessons to keep Aunt Tracy from killing him one day. That was a joke... sorta. “Elena already here?”

“Studio three with Winona.” The gal behind the counter who pays for her ballet lessons by helping out around the studio, does a quick punch of Hill’s card.

“Dang. I’m late.” Hill grabs her card and races to the back room.

“They aren’t going to start without you.” The girl mutters and goes back to straightening up the little clothing section at the front of the dance studio that sold leotards, tights and other must haves for dancers.

“Jimmy and Rafe were at Gordon Radcliffe working on your Grandpa Edward’s present when Lucy Coe showed up.” Elena doesn’t bother with hello as Hill races into the room after changing into her dance clothes. “Lee is pissed.”

Hill rolls her eyes and sitting down puts on her dance shoes. “Duh. We knew he was going to be.” She looks over at her cousin Elena, Maxie and Kyle’s youngest girl. “How pissed?”

“You know he’s going to do it. But he threatened to call Bill and get him to not come back to Port Charles before going to college that way it would be him and Bill backing out rather than him being the only hold out.”

“Grandpa Edward is looking forward to this. He is already growing out his beard. He doesn’t want to use the fake one like last year. He said the glue itched.” As far as Hill is concerned that is the end of any discussion. Edward wanted this therefore it is going to happen.

“Well I hope he can grow it fast or I’m still going to be putting extensions in. He can’t play Paw Paw without a long beard.” Third time is a charm as far as Elena is concerned with this performance of the Hillbilly Radcliffes. She’d gotten the chance to do the costumes and set. She is planning on using the video of this one as a show case for her application to design school– specifically the Copley Center for Costume Design at UCLA. “I’ve been studying period to get it just right.”

Both girls never seem to travel without their sketch books. Hill for her hats and anything she might think of for Lee’s container boxes. Elena for her costumes. She’d read a book and then draw the characters as she pictured them. She wouldn’t do fashion like her mother for just that reason... it would be like her mother. She’d do fabric and design in a different way. Going to Queen of Angels she had to get her creative fix where she could. She still had the costumes and the backdrop from the previous performances so this would be about taking it to the next level and making it fresh.

“Okay ladies, lets get this one going.” Winona comes in and goes over to the music player. The girls would have about an hour before the next class starts. She cues up some bluegrass to get everyone in the mood and then starts doing the refresher steps of clogging. It’s a form of dancing that had been brought from Ireland and Scotland with the immigrants who had often ended up in the company towns of the Appalachian coal mines. Winona had also been doing her research. Tap is a much jazzier version of clogging. The Carolina Shag is another form of clogging. Like the music that they are working from, clogging is a root for a lot of other forms of dancing. 

Hill can’t help it. She does a quick bow to all four corners just to be safe and then takes a deep breath and lines up facing the mirror. She shakes out her shoulders and tilts her head from side to side to loosen up her neck and then nods at Winona. Clogging isn’t about the hand movement, it’s about the footwork. And it’s something that can be done alone, in a line or with a partner. The now familiar tune of Cotton Eye Joe comes out of the speakers and Hill starts working through the routine. Winona is fine with stopping, rewinding and doing a move or combination again. She hands off the music to Elena to work with Hill lining up beside her to do the moves side by side. Elena works on sketches while keeping one eye on the action. She knows what they have from the previous performances the canvas is actually rolled up and stored in her garage and Aunt Skye had provided a trunk to keep the costumes. So she’d be able to take what they had and update it.

“Elena...”

Elena hits the stop on the music and automatically backs it up about 45 seconds and restarts.

* * *

“That’s all we need. You showing up at a board meeting looking like you’ve been on a bender for three days. For goodness sake, Father, it’s called a razor.” Tracy snarks. But there is a hint of concern well hidden. Edward has always taken great pride in his appearance and being unshaved was something he did when Lila died or when they’d lost Alan or Monica. “Have you forgotten the phone number of your barber?”

“Never knew it.” Edward shrugs. “Reginald makes the appointments. And no, you’re not getting ELQ over my senile body. I’m growing a beard for the nurses’ ball.”

Tracy pauses in taking a bite and drops her fork back on the plate as she makes the connection. “You are not performing at the nurses’ ball as some kind of backwood, teeth missing, liquor swilling...” She makes quote marks in the air. “...Paw paw.”

Edward grins at her. This is one of the best parts of performing at the Nurses’ ball. Tracy is very big on protecting the family image and this drives her insane. She’d actually offered Lucy Coe money to cut Edward and the Hillbilly Radcliffes from the show last year. Course Lucy had seen the opportunity and emailed all the big supporters of the Nurses’ ball with Tracy’s offer and the money had come in to keep Edward in the show. It’s also probably the reason why Chandy had come back to perform as well. “You should ask Hill if she has a role for you.”

Tracy shudders then snaps. “Hillary knows better. I may not be able to beat you at this but am sure as hell not joining you. For goodness sake couldn’t you leave the humiliation to Lucy Coe or Bobbie Spencer?”

“I don’t feel humiliated being up there with Hill, Lee and Bill. They make some damn good music.”

“Well yes of course. I would hope so considering how long they have all been taking lessons. It’s a distraction, Father, from what Hill should be focused on which is getting into a decent business school and last I looked picking and grinning were not on the application for the Wharton Business School!”

“Thin even for you, Tracy. It’s the Nurses Ball. Other than figuring out to really make money grown on trees those college admittance paper pushers live for applications packed with charity dos.”

“It’s ridiculous.” Tracy sighs. “If she would just make up her mind. If she would just pick a school we could handle it from there.”

Edward frowns.

“What is it?”

“I think I need to have a little chat with the girl. If she’s planning on not going away to school because of me-- well going to nip that in the bud.”

Tracy snorts. “Don’t worry; I’ll tell her what a waste of time it is to put her life on hold waiting for you to die.”


	6. Chapter 6

She starts her day with a good breakfast of cold cereal, fruit skillfully sliced into a seasonal fruit cup and a cup of properly prepared tea. Daddy Cole isn’t a particular fan of mornings but since he started working the morning shift at the bar they’d all been able to have breakfast together before everyone heads off to work. She’ll get a ride into work with whoever was heading in that direction, normally Mom.

Because of the big meeting today she is wearing a suit. The low heeled shoes are because she knows she is going to be working her tail off making sure everything is just where it’s supposed to be. The pill box hat she is wearing with the decorative netting that is short enough to not obscure her vision and matches one of the colors in the Hermes Twilly she wears as a tie. “Mom?”   
Skye Radcliffe comes into Hill’s room at the call and sees where her opinion is needed. She taps to indicate with a quick finger which pair of earrings and watch. Then giving a thumbs up heads back to the kitchen to get her last cup of coffee before heading out the door. She is going to have to be at the meeting too but stopping at the office first and is working through a couple of ideas for editorials. Since she’s syndicated she has to think about things on a national level not just what impacts locally. Sometimes that is a tough ditch to jump.

“Pour me one of those.” Cole’s voice is raspy and still half asleep. It doesn’t stop him from wrapping an arm around Skye and giving her a hug with a kiss on the nape of her neck. He could never resist the back of her neck.

Skye tilts her head to the side really not wanting him to stop as she reaches for a coffee mug from beside the coffee maker. She pours him a cup and tops off her own. “Which do you need more.”

“The coffee probably but you’re going to work and the coffee pot is going to be there all day.” Cole whispers against her skin. “You got plans for lunch?”

“That meeting is happening at 1pm. I’m already getting calls from people on the board who want to meet for lunch before the meeting. I should go just to find out if there is some kind of coup attempt going on.”

“Ah let Tracy and Edward handle it.” Cole counters. “I have the day off. I’m thinking the Port Charles hotel and a little room service.” 

Hill comes in and isn’t particularly surprised to see her parents in a close embrace. Hell they still held hands when they went out to the movies. “You should totally go, Mom. Aunt Tracy already knows about the trouble makers and it would just be more trouble if she thought you were meeting with them for whatever reason and then I’d hear of nothing but.”

“Honey, I’ll be so glad when you’re eighteen and can just proxy this for me.” Skye sighs. “It’s a date.” She gives Cole a kiss on the cheek and a pat on the hand so that he lets her loose from the embrace. She grabs her mug of coffee and stands on one side of the breakfast bar with Cole beside her. 

Hill pulls up a stool on the other side and sips her tea. “Daddy, I didn’t know you were taking the day off.”

“It isn’t really a day off. You know I only get those when we go on vacation. I’m still going to have to check in at Jakes, do the supply run...” Cole shrugs. “I might be able to get most of it done by noon and have a free afternoon. Why? You going to need a ride home from the dance studio?”

“Probably. I’ll play it by ear and give you a call okay? And if you’re busy I’ll just call a cab or get a ride from Elena.”

“How is it going?” Skye asks.

“I think Winona is okay with the progress I’m making even if she thinks I should be taking class year round not just the month before the nurses’ ball. Grandpa Edward is working on growing out his beard. He doesn’t like the glue that was used last time. Elena already has some ideas for the set and outfits. And evidently Lee is really ticked. Lucy Coe stopped by the shop yesterday.”

Skye winces. “I knew that was coming. I should have known it was going to be that fast. She came to see me yesterday too. I should have known that Lee would be the very next stop.” She looks at Cole significantly.

Cole sighs. “Let me at least get a shower in first. I’ll get to Jakes before Lee heads to work.”

* * *

Ambush. And he knows it. Lee walks down the stairs from his apartment above Jakes and sees his father behind the bar doing the books. If he wasn’t waiting for him then he’d be doing the books in the office off the kitchen.

“Just made a fresh pot of coffee.” Cole doesn’t look up.

Lee sighs and takes a seat at the bar. “What now?” He takes the coffee when offered.

“You’re going to have to suck it up and do it. You know it. I know it. So get over it.”

“Excuse me?”

“You think I like putting on a monkey suit and going to that thing? No, but I like the way your mother looks in high heels with her hair up. So I go.”

“There is a difference between going and performing. Gees, Dad.” 

“And if it were just Edward hell I’d sell tickets to the battle royale and hold your coat. Your sister has already been working on the dance routine, hour of class a day and two more at home for the last week. She’s probably going to end up with blisters on blisters. And Kyle emailed me that Elena is planning on using a tape of the performance as part of her application to some costume design school out in LA. So make a deal with your sister. Tell her this is the last one you’re doing and I’ll back you on it. And then we’ll try to make sure that your sister is busy doing something else come nurses’ ball time next year. Maybe something like what Chandy did. Some college program between junior and senior year.”

“Should have thought of that this year.”

“Yeah, hindsight and all that. We were both a little busy and it snuck up on us. Bill already has his housing lined up in Boston for when he goes to school but your sister hasn’t figured out where she wants to go and I need a little head start anyway.”

Lee accepts the change of subject. He knows his father is right and he’s going to lose the battle about the nurses ball. “I’m thinking Philadelphia, Dad, University of Pennsylvania. Although I have heard her say Portland, Oregon too. There is some liberal arts school there... Reed College. Philadelphia would be Wharton, the business school Aunt Tracy is always harping on.”

Cole winces. “Neither of them are CSMC towns.”

“Boston wasn’t either until Chandy decided on going to school at Berklee.”

“True. All the more important that we figure this one out now. I’m not having my baby going to school until I know she’s got a safety net. Even in Portland, there could be a crew available in 45 minutes flying out of Seattle.”

“You thinking of Kiki Ramirez?”

“Don’t you?” Cole retorts. What had happened to Kiki wasn’t a secret in CSMC circles. The degree of fury was high throughout CSMC and had served to re-enforce company loyalty. Nothing like what happened to Kiki would have happened in a CSMC town. Nobody messed with family. All of the branches of CSMC had gone to work for Kiki after the word had gone out about the school wanting her to transfer all those failing grades to a different school. All the alumni of the school within reach of a CSMC branch had gotten a personal call or visit. All of the alumni who had business with CSMC no matter how small around the country had received more than a personal visit. Baby expected them to show their disapproval of their school’s action and was willing to cut off their association with CSMC if they were going to support a school that would further victimize a young girl they’d been charged to protect. The school had ended up refunding Kiki’s tuition and wiping that year from her transcript. It hadn’t been enough but it had been a start. It had also started a ground swell of Alumni ire. Nobody wanted to send their daughter to their own school. The president of the school had resigned but not before the head of security and the director of health services had both been fired.

“She’s doing okay now.” Lee lets his father know. “Kiki came into the shop to get her car tuned up. She knows Bill, Hill and I all spent some time walking and talking with Dr Cam. Taking a full load at PCU and even dating a little bit.”

“Your sister is not going to school in a non-CSMC town. What happened to Kiki, what happened to Lisa. Shit happens. And yeah, I have confidence that your sister could kick just about anybody’s ass that tried something on her. But that doesn’t take into account ruffies and all the other things some sick f... I still think your sister would fall for the lost puppy trick.”

Lee grins at that. It’s actually a fun memory in a twisted way. Cole had given them the stranger danger speech within the first month of them being adopted. And within a week of giving the speech had somebody test Hill while she’d been on the swings at Chloe Morgan. Sure enough, Hill had followed the guy right out of the park looking for the puppy. Dad had been waiting at one exit and Mom at the other both believing that Hill wouldn’t follow the man. Needless to say Hill had a very bad day when Cole had greeted her at the entrance with the very blunt question. “Who is this stranger, Hill.” Her eyes had gotten wide at that. “Yeah, she might but she would fall for it by texting everyone she knows to be on the look out for a lost puppy and offering to call the pound to see if the dog has been picked up yet.”

* * *

There are going to be over 200 people coming to the meeting. There would be coffee and some refreshments but not a full meal because everyone should be coming from lunch. There is a catering crew who’d come in to set up the tables. An event crew that set up the dais for the speakers. And the mail room had been put in charge of meeting materials, making sure that everyone had a spiral binder and that the power points were all in order of the speakers. To get into the meeting you had to be invited which meant either holding significant ELQ stock or working for them. This is a closed meeting, no press invited cept Skye who holds ELQ stock. Security is pretty tight to make sure that the materials aren’t released before the meeting. Once people arrived they stayed until the end of the meeting– cell and texting devices off. Wifi disabled by a scrambler set up. The mail room staff would work as runners for any notes that needed to be addressed before the meeting ended.

Tracy would be up on the dais as is Zander Smith one time vice president in charge of paper clips but now in charge of all of the domestic side of ELQ while Ned handled the international. Edward is still president of the company but Tracy oversees the day to day issues that Zander or Ned don’t handle before they hit her desk. It is still Tracy’s firm intention to hold the seat and keep it warm until she dies and then have Ned take over the whole thing. So as far as she is concerned any threat to usurp her is a threat to her children. Makes for a very bitchy edgy woman. “Where is your mother?”

“She and Dad were having lunch at the Port Charles hotel. She might be late.”

“Oh for crying out loud!” Tracy’s voice is a screech.

“Hey. I thought it was a good idea. Better than Mom having lunch with...” Hill leans in and whispers in her Aunt’s ear. “Not that she would have believed a word they said but I told her you already knew what they are up to and didn’t need her to spy for you.”

Tracy glares at a man that has just arrived. “Amanda Barrington couldn’t get her hooks into father after Mother died and Derek has been coming after ELQ even before Amanda died. He managed to drive Barrington Industries into the ground. Don’t think I’m going to let him get his clutches into ELQ. I should have done something about him long ago.”

“Not today, Auntie.” Hill says soothingly but she gives a glare over at Derek Barrington. “What he has planned isn’t going to work and we’ll make sure that he can never try to ruin all of Grandpa Edward’s good work again. He may think he can sneak in here but you’re right he’s ruined Barrington and it would be a lot less expensive for us to take him out of his company than for him to take you and Grandpa Edward out of ELQ. As Daddy says, paybacks are a bitch...” ... and so is your Aunt Tracy.

“And so am I.” Tracy has no doubt of exactly how Cole Radcliffe feels about her.

“Well I wasn’t going to say that part.” Hill gives Tracy a pat on the arm. “I’m going to make sure he isn’t doing anything sneaky.”

“He’s breathing and awake, Hillary.” Tracy counters. “But yes, I know some of the people he’s been meeting with. See if you can figure out who else he’s been trying to pull to his side. He’s had too much information about things going on on the executive floor.”

* * *

Lee is the one that picks his sister from the dance studio. He arrives a little early and sees that Hill has already put the work in and is building on what they’d did at the last performance. Dad wasn’t kidding about blisters on blisters. Hill had always been willing to put the time in whether it was practicing on the piano or the Muay Thai lessons. Her focus could be obsessive when she narrowed in. If she was working on a hat and had her tunes on, the house could burn down around her and she wouldn’t notice. It’s another reason why anyone who really knows her doesn’t mind that she doesn’t drive. But they did worry about her on the bus because she could end up in Beechers Corner before she came up for air if she started nibbling on a problem.

“What do you think?” Hill demands as the music stops.

“We’re not doing Cotton Eye Joe. If we’re going to do this then I’m picking the music.”

“Fine. But you better get on it because Bill is going to have to practice while he’s over in Paris and Winona will have to put together the choreography.” Hill grabs a towel and wipes down her face and neck. “We’re just doing Cotton Eye Joe for scales and getting the muscle memory back. I’m glad you’re here.”

“I already said I’d do it.”

“It’s not that. It’s something that happened at the meeting.” At Lee’s blank look, Hill rolls her eyes. “The ELQ meeting.”

Lee shrugs. “Your deal, bug, not mine.”

Hill sighs. “I know. And I know you love working with Alice. She doesn’t do the whole BS thing just wants to do the work.”

“What kind of BS.”

“I think I saw something I shouldn’t have seen and I really think that Aunt Tracy will go nuts if I tell her and Grandpa Edward would be upset too and I don’t know who I can tell about it and if Mom gets involved then Aunt Tracy would be more concerned about that than what is really going on...”

“Hill, stop and take a breath and tell me the situation in less than ten words.”

Hill counts the words on her fingertips before vocalizing her fear finger by finger. “I’m not the only spy in the mailroom.”

“Spy for whom?” 

“Derek Barrington, and Barrington Industries. They are trying to give Aunt Tracy a fit. She said before the meeting that they have too much info about the executive floors. She cut him off today but she didn’t squash him, not totally. I was standing behind him and trying to figure out who was more interested, I mean really interested, in him than what was going on. And the guy who gave me a ride to the studio yesterday... he has access to all the information that comes and goes out of the mailroom. Hell we had the meeting agenda a day ahead of everyone but the printer.”

“But all you know is that this guy was looking at Barrington funny. That’s not enough.”

“It would be enough for Aunt Tracy.” Hill sighs. “That’s what I’m afraid of. And you know she is going to ask me. And you know she’s going to know I think something so if I don’t tell her she will make my life total hell until I spill.”

“She already does.” Lee retorts. But he shakes his head. Hill actually gets on better with Tracy than Tracy’s own kids and grandkids. There are some in the family who had even offered to pay her for keeping Tracy off their necks. “This is corporate espionage you’re talking, if the parents knew you even suspected something like that-- you’d be out of there before the stock exchange opened tomorrow.”

“I know.” Hill mutters. “But I don’t know anything, not for sure.”

“Bug, if we were talking diesel engines I’d go with you not knowing anything. You’re saying someone is trying to screw over Grandpa Edward– nothing gets by you. And yeah, no proof. And can’t involve mom. What about your boss?”

“I don’t know, not now. Not after what I saw today. What if he is in on it?!”

“Give you notice tomorrow. One week. Tell them you’re going to be swamped with the Nurses’ ball. Then you need to keep your head down and just do your job for that week. After you hire a detective and give them the names and what you think.”

“Scorpio investigations?”

“They’re the best in Port Charles. Can you afford it? I mean can you afford it without Mom noticing a dip in your accounts?”

“Maybe.”

“I’ll fork over for it, if need be. We’ll get the money back from Aunt Tracy later if it pans out.”

“Thanks, Lee.”

“For what?”

“Believing me.”

“Everyone who matters is going to believe you, Bug, that’s why we have to have proof too. And until we get this resolved you need to stay out of cars with this guy.”

“That might make him suspicious.”

“Screw that. You start making plans for having someone pick you up every day. I don’t want this guy to even see you at the bus stop. You need to get out of there.”

* * *

Scorpio investigations works late with the office frequently open until nine. Lucky Spencer would be working and may be another associate on their way out to a surveillance gig. SI made big bonuses hunting business espionage and computer hackers but they’d still send someone out to find a evidence of a cheating spouse– it just wouldn’t be Lucky or Georgie. “Lucky, you here?”

“Yeah, I got your call. Coffee?”

“Nah thanks.”

“Shot of something from the bottom drawer?”

“Nah, but thanks.” Lee grins at that. He knows it had been a sincere offer but he wasn’t getting anyone in trouble, especially himself by have a drink a few months short. “I appreciate you staying late. I had to drop off Hill at my folks. She should be the one telling you all this. That would be her stepping into something she needs to be stepping out of.”

Lucky tops off his coffee and looks at Lee. “You said over the phone this was about ELQ?”

“Yeah, Hill has been working in the mailroom for the last couple of months. There was a big wig meeting today that didn’t go as well as Aunt Tracy would have liked. Hill saw some looks between Derek Barrington and one of the guys who Hill works with in the mail room.”

“Barrington.” Lucky grimaces. They’d pulled a gig about a year ago of Barrington playing the same crap on Barrett. Julia had not been amused. “Why am I not surprised?” He shakes his head. “And Hill’s radar went up off of a look?!”

“Hill’s radar is top of the line when it comes to anyone trying to screw over Grandpa Edward.”

“I’ve heard that. You have a name or picture for me to start from?”

Lee hands over the piece of paper that Hill had gotten for him. It’s a printout of the guy’s picture from his ELQ security badge and with his name and the license number of his car on it.

“Joe Smith. Could the name be more anonymous?”

“Yeah, made me glad for Hill’s protective nature making her suspicious. She didn’t go to her boss in the mailroom about this. At least not yet. If that is a fake name then someone higher than this guy is in on it to pass the background check to get hired.”

“Barrett stopped doing inhouse background checks.” Lucky mutters as he studies the guy’s picture. “They always used us for the big project security clearances but they handed off the whole thing last year.” What had happened at Barrett had been chopped off closer to the executive levels but this is starting to put the hair up on the back of his neck wondering if maybe it has started in the mail room over at Barrett too.

“Five hundred to start?” Lee pulls out debit card. He’d already moved the money to be ready. He didn’t normally have that kind of money just sitting around but luckily they’d finished the Madison rig. He hadn’t flipped his part into anything else yet so he’s flush. “I figure if you can’t find it in $500 then it’s not there to find, and if you need more then it will be time to bring in Tracy and Grandpa Edward.”

“More likely Ned.” Lucky shrugs. He takes the card and encumbers the funds. “How soon is Hill going to be out of there?”

“I told her to give notice tomorrow. Blame it on the nurses’ ball.”

“Oh hell. The nurses’ ball.”

“Tell me about it. Thanks for the help on this.” Lee gets to his feet.

“Hell you’re the one bringing me the job. Thank you.” Lucky does too and extends a hand for a shake.

Lee shakes Lucky’s hand and heads out the door.

Lucky grimaces. He doesn’t like doing this. Georgie is on family business down in Florida and the trip had already been extended once. He knows it’s the same family business that had Baby on the front pages of the society pages down in New Orleans. This is something that probably couldn’t be handled by remote. He needed Georgie on this while he did the physical surveillance for a few more clues. Lucky scans the picture into an email and calls Georgie. “Hey partner, I’ve got $500 here that says that Barrington is pulling the same crap on ELQ that they played on Barrett last year. I just sent you an email.”


	7. Chapter 7

Giving notice is tricky. There are going to be a couple of people who are going to demand an explanation of why she is quitting the mailroom and it wouldn’t just be her boss. Tracy and Grandpa Edward would have something to say too.

“What’s bothering you, Bug.” Cole demands quietly of his daughter. He’d come up behind her unnoticed on their dock that extends out into the lake.

“If I tell you, you can’t over react.”

“You know I leave the over reacting to your mother.” Cole counters but there is no promise there.

“You have to promise, Daddy Cole.” 

“Whoa.” Cole figures this just crossed the line into major father daughter discussion and pulls out his evening cigarette. He lights up and takes a drag considering his thoughts as he squints through the exhale of smoke. “I promise to not over react for exactly one hour after you tell me what the hell is bothering you. I think you and I can agree that anything I do after an hour will not be an overreaction but my version of a very measured response.” 

Hill bites the inside of her lip and figures that is the best she is going to get. “I went to Lee after the meeting at work today. He’s already gone to Scorpio Investigations with my... gut feeling.”

“Gut about what?”

“I think that one of the guys in the mail room is spying for Barrington Industries. I haven’t told Aunt Tracy yet because I want to have proof of what he’s doing and if my boss at work might be in on it. Lee thinks I should give notice tomorrow and just keep my head down for a week until I can get out of there clean. But I know Aunt Tracy is going to be furious and not understand.”

Cole nods. So far he isn’t seeing the problem. This is ELQ business and Hill is better equipped for dealing with ELQ than anyone-- including his wife. “Tracy will be ticked; got it. What else is new. She’ll get over it. Sounds like you have a plan. I haven’t heard the part that has you bringing on the promises.”

"One hour?”

“One hour.” Cole agrees.

“The guy who I think is spying for Barrington gave me a ride to the dance studio yesterday. Daddy, you promised!” Hill can already see the flush going up Cole’s neck.

Cole takes a deep breath. “That’s unsat, Bug.”

“I know. Lee freaked too. He says no more getting in the car with the guy, like I would anyway. Joe betrayed Grandpa Edward. But I can’t tell Aunt Tracy that. Not without proof. Cause she would go ballistic without proof and we’d never be able to prove what Joe did and how much poison he’s spread at ELQ.”

“And Lee gave the information to SI?”

“After he dropped me off at home. He called to let me know Mr. Spencer took the case.”

“So you’re telling me its industrial espionage that is probably worth... millions right? You’re working in the mailroom with the guy who is taking point. You have identified him as a problem. And he knows where you live and where he can find you at the dance studio. He probably doesn’t know that you’ve told anyone your suspicions. So if he figures out that you’re suspicious of him, he can just get rid of you and feel like he’s nipped it in the bud?! Have I missed anything?!”

“You promised.” 

“I’m still standing here, aren’t I?” Cole shakes his head in disbelief. “Hill, my sweet little love bug, I have total confidence in you in a fair fight. Hell you’re the one I want guarding my back if I ever get into it with someone. But this is not going to be a fair fight. It never is when someone is getting greedy and there are prison sentences involved. That’s about the time when people start getting real creative.”

“I know.” Hill sighs. “Sensai is always saying that too. Muay Thai isn’t going to help against a bullet or tazer or tranq darts or anything from a distance. Add that I’m at a disadvantage anyway because this is as big as I’m going to get.” Hill sighs again. Lee and Bill being brothers teased her about being a runt. Daddy Cole would retort about it not being the size of the dog in the fight but the fight in the dog. Which if you thought about too much is really kind of sick.   
Her Muay Thai might help her guard Grandpa Edward’s back, and Daddy’s too but it wouldn’t save her from someone really motivated. Just made sure that they paid along the way. “Daddy Cole, I know I have to quit and when I think of getting in his car now it gives me the heebs but how can I quit and not throw up a bunch of flags. He can’t get away with what he is doing to Grandpa Edward!”

Cole takes another drag on the cigarette. “And you’re figuring that your Aunt Tracy is going to be the one who really throws up the flags, reacting to you quitting, rather than you quitting.”

“Well... she’ll be a bit... louder about it.” 

“Oh you ain’t kidding.” Cole snarks. “Okay lets go tell your mother.” Cole sees his daughter starting to say something. “And no, that is not an overreaction. That’s saving your skin because she would not be happy about being the last one to know. This is going to be hashed out tonight as a family and then we look at how it’s going to impact out there.” Cole makes a hand motion as if back toward Port Charles. He grinds out his cigarette and walks back to the house with Hill pausing briefly by the trash can to make sure that the cigarette is out an then throwing the butt in the can.

* * *

Skye leans back in her chair at the dining room table and takes a deep breath. She exhales and takes another one. When she reopens her eyes she knows that she is the total focus of her husband and youngest. She holds up a finger. “Okay...” Then she pauses and takes another breath. “Okay. Um... I don’t care if they catch the guy or not. You are not going back to ELQ in the morning.”

“Mom...”

“My hour is up, Bug, and I’m with her. You’re not going back in the morning. I am calling Edward tonight and telling him that you are going on a college visitation to Philadelphia in the morning with me.”

“I don’t have a college visitation set up.”

“You do now.” Skye agrees with Cole grimly. “And Edward will tell Tracy, and Tracy won’t fight it because it’s Wharton and that is the school she is always harping on anyway. Hopefully by the time we get back this mail room problem will be resolved.”

“You two never take time off really not unless we’re on vacation and you can’t waste your vacation on this. And I don’t have anything set up at Wharton, you can’t just show up.”

“CSMC doesn’t have a branch in Philly. I’ll be working.” Cole shrugs.

“I have to practice for the nurses’ ball.”

“You can practice in Philadelphia.” Skye counters. “You’re not going to the dance studio anyway. Not until this is resolved. You can’t do anything that is your normal routine until this threat is over. Consider yourself in the Radcliffe Witness Protection Plan.”

Cole nods. “And it’s not like it’s the first time you’ve been in involved in a RWPP.” Cole goes for the instant acronym. “Brittany Slade at your sister’s place in Boston and then Maeve and her kids over at Spoon Island. You just get to be on the receiving end until this thing is resolved. Hell if they haven’t got the proof by the time we’re ready to come back from Philly you’ll be heading off to Boston or Chicago. So just get used to it and hope that Lucky finds the proof fast.” Cole gets up from the table and heads straight out the front door.

Hill sighs. “He’s going to have another cigarette isn’t he?”

“Probably.” Skye agrees.

“I’m sorry, Mom. I really did think it was just a summer job. I did know all along that Aunt Tracy and Grandpa Edward wanted a spy. That’s why they liked the mailroom idea rather than working with one of the analysts or something.”

“I’m just glad you recognized the danger you were in and went to your brother. I think getting proof is a very good idea. But your part is done. Time to call in the professionals. If I know your father he is going to want to leave at about 4am to drive over to Philadelphia with the idea of missing all the traffic or something ridiculous like that. Pack for a week and bring along what you’re going to need to practice for your routine at the Nurses’ Ball. Even if we only walk the campus it’ll be time well spent. And if your father starts looking around for real estate for Baby then we’ll definitely be busy.”

Hill nods and goes to her room.

Skye goes outside where Cole is having a cigarette on the front deck while on the phone with Mouse. She comes up behind him and gives him a hug wrapping her arms around him. Cole pats her linked hands and then half turns in the embrace and brings her around so that she is beside him and under his arm. He’s got his hands full. Skye takes the cigarette from between his fingers and grinds it out in a nearby ashtray. She doesn’t interrupt the conversation but listens as Cole and Mouse put together the Philly trip. Cole rubs a hand up and down Skye’s back as he nods at what Mouse is saying. “Yeah, same rules as with Chandy’s place down in Boston. Has to be within walking distance of University of Pennsylvania.”

“Tell him loft or remade industrial maybe. Hill will need a place where she can work out and not disturb the neighbors.” Skye interjects.

“You hear that?” Cole nods. “Yeah, the timing is interesting. I know you have your hands full with Baby out of town. Really? I didn’t know that. Okay well we’ll be taking Skye’s laptop to send her the email with all the particulars. Figure we’ll be on the road by four and miss all the traffic. So whatever accommodations Mona lines up are going to have an early check in. Yeah, talk to you later.”

“What’s up with Mouse? Something more than Macon escaping from custody?”

“Whatever Hill stepped in just got more interesting. According to Mouse, Lucky Spencer recalled Georgie from Florida. Whatever Barrington is pulling on ELQ put up some flags on some work they did for Barrett last year.”

“We have so got to get out of town.” Skye shudders. She’d had her share of drama over the years but she preferred to not have it around her kids.

Cole makes his next call. “Lee? Yeah, it’s Dad. Your mom and I are taking Hill out of town. Figure it’s a good time to check out Philly and see what the potentials are there. I need you to cover the nuts and bolts on the bar. The schedule is already set so maybe just covering deliveries and deposits. And I’ll apologize in advance. I’m planning on not picking up any calls from your Aunt Tracy. Which means she is going to be coming after you. Tell her it’s Wharton maybe that will mellow her out. Yeah, I know it’s a longshot.”

* * *

When Lee arrives at Gordon Radcliffe tours the next morning at 10:30am, Tracy is already there. He winces but isn’t surprised. He walks straight up to her. “We need to talk privately. Lets go to the rail car.”

Tracy looks at it with suspicion. The last time she was in the rail car it had been a vermin chewed, graffiti decorated hunk of junk. “Really? Do we have to?”

“Oh yeah. Two birds one stone and all that.” 

“Hill and your father aren’t returning my calls. Father says that they went to Wharton. How in the hell your father thinks that he will accomplish there what I could in one phone call...”

“Email Hill. I heard they are checking email regularly. Or at least Hill and Mom are. Consider you and my dad on vacation from each other and give an inner whoohoo.”

Tracy gives a snorting laugh at that and continues right on with her complaints. “This is not like Hill. What the hell is going on?” They’ve reached the rail car by now and Lee gives Tracy a hand up. Tracy automatically goes toward what is going to be Edward’s salon. Even though she’s focused on the conversation doesn’t mean she isn’t taking in the progress. This might be a Christmas present after all rather than a Spring Launch to Washington DC for the cherry blossoms. 

“It might not be Hill but it is definitely my dad.” Lee counters once he is in the salon and leaning up against one of the walls. “He started looking for Chandy’s place two years before she went to Berklee. Feel good, Aunt Tracy. You won. This is Dad checking out Philly with the idea that Hill is actually going to be going to school there.”

“Oh for goodness sake! Then why all the drama?”

“Probably so he wouldn’t change his mind. Flat out, Aunt Tracy. Dad may still come down against Philly if he doesn’t find what he wants on this trip. If Mouse doesn’t find what CSMC is looking for down there.”

“What the hell does CSMC have to do with anything?!”

“Aunt Tracy, you know the answer to that. You flat out know the answer. It’s the same reason why Baby wouldn’t let Fancy stay in Philly overnight when she goes to basketball games there.” 

Tracy’s pfts. “Fancy is no delicate flower and neither is your sister. They can take care of themselves. Half the students going to University of Pennsylvania are women.”

“Yeah, but none of them are Cole Radcliffe’s daughter. And if you want that to change then you’re just going to have to deal with what he needs in order for Hill to go to school there. If she were going to Harvard or one of the other Boston Schools it would be different. Dad helped build CSMC- Boston so Chandy could go there, Kyle’s kids and Bill too this September. You want Wharton-- then Dad’s got some work to do and needs the time to do it. Baby goes to Boston, she travels with a couple of guys. She travels to Philly or a non CSMC town then what-- half a dozen? It isn’t enough to have the crew from the City just an hour away. As far as Dad is concerned it is still back up over an hour away.” 

Tracy sighs. She’d love to throw a tizzy but the grease monkey is right. Hill and Cole aren’t returning her calls and she had observed the level of security around Baby, Fancy and Chandy too. She’d love to say that it was the men around them being Neanderthals. That those three are all public figures whether then liked it or not. Hill is just a teenager for goodness sake. Course Tracy got in her share of trouble in college but the times were different then. Not something she’d be talking to Lee Radcliffe about. “How long is this going to take?”

Lee shrugs. “Longer if Dad finds what he is looking for. It’ll be a real quick trip if he can find something that blows Philly out of the running. Dad told me to cover at Jake’s for a week. It’s a shame you and Mom don’t get along, Aunt Tracy. You know Mom is the only one that can change Dad’s mind once it’s made up.”

“Don’t try to be a little peacemaker. It doesn’t suit. This is looking like Christmas rather than spring.” Tracy looks around.

Lee grimaces. “We haven’t run into any delays yet. Spring is safe. Christmas might involve overtime and even then one supplier gets behind and it’s screwed. Since we’re working with India on this and using her sources rather than the sources that Alice has locally... I can’t say for sure on anything.” 

“Where is India?”

“Chicago. Baby has a Roseland Park project going there. She’s taking point with the planning commission.”

Tracy frowns and crosses her arms in front of her. “I want it for Christmas.”

“I want a pony.”

“Don’t joke. Because I’ll get you a pony.”

“Okay fine; I don’t want a pony.” Lee sighs and considers his schedule. They are pretty much going balls out right now between the refits and the maintenance. In another month they are going to be getting the people who are having their rigs winterized and they’d be losing Jimmy and Rafe when they headed back to school. “I’ll talk to Alice about hiring a couple of extra guys. Make sure we can keep them busy even after Grandpa Edward’s car is done.”

“Oh puleeze. You’ll be able to keep them busy. Isn’t Baby requesting a party car after this?” Tracy snarks. “By the way, the postcard from your brother finally arrived. He said it was lost in the mail. I know that is bull since what he sent was after we talked.”

“What did he send?’ Lee asks.

Tracy reaches into her clutch and pulls out the hand drawn postcard.

“This looks... spooky.”

“Normandy. Not the vineyards.” Tracy explains. “He went there to get something for Father after sending Hill her scarves. And if your father wants to be worrying about you brats he should be eyeballing Bill and that french cougar that has her claws in him. Hill can take care of herself.” With that Tracy snatches back her postcard and stalks out of the warehouse.

* * *

Both the guys get a look from the person running the desk and the security in the lobby. They look like guys who work for a living rather than someone that would be checking into a five star hotel in downtown Philadelphia just to the east of the University District which is going to be ground zero for the housing search. Isaac looks down at the post a note he’d scribbled after an early morning call from Mona at One Phone Call. Mona had been great about taking care of Linc when big brother had been out on the road with the Lakers. Course they’d did their part to always hosting when Faith Monroe came out to Philadelphia to go to an away Laker game. “This is it, Dad.”

Abe Upton raps on the door.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.” A male voice draws close to the door. He opens it up. “Let me guess– Isaac and Abe Upton.”

“Cole Radcliffe?”

“Yeah. Come on in. There has got to be coffee around here somewhere.” Cole grumps. They’d made good time until they got to the outskirts of Philly and then it had turned to shit fast. He thought the traffic in Boston was bad. Skye reminded him between curses Philadelphia is on Amtrak and if Hill came to school here they wouldn’t have to spend much time on the road. “Mona tell you what is going on?” Cole reaches for the phone to call for coffee and sandwiches from room service.

“Yeah, she did and it’s about freaking time.” Isaac retorts pulling up a chair at the dining table of the suite. He studies Cole. This is a guy just like them. Definitely not somebody who belonged in a hotel like this one. “Fancy has been coming out to the games last two seasons. We’ve gotten to talk to Frankie a little bit about things other than basketball. I don’t see why Boston gets some and The City too and you can’t show Philly a little love.”

“First things first. I am not you.” Cole makes little quote motions in the air. “You’re talking about CSMC and I’m just a guy who is trying to figure out if his youngest can go to University of Pennsylvania and be safe. Yeah, I do the two birds one stone thing. Boston didn’t have a branch in Boston until my kid started at Berklee. I used the time while she was at a summer program to find some properties that would work for CSMC. And Anders grew it from there. Are you guys planning on running CSMC– Philly for Baby?”

Abe shakes his head. “No way. I’m too close to retirement. That’s a young man’s game. But it wouldn’t bother me at all to have someone a little bit more responsive than my local councilman when there is a problem in the neighborhood.”

Cole nods. “Yeah, that’s what I would want before I signed off on Hill coming to school here.” Cole can see the questioning looks and rising up on one hip he pulls his wallet from his back pocket. If he kept pictures of all his kids he’d probably get sciatica so the pictures of Kyle and his family and all the foster kids are kept at home in albums. His wallet just has pictures of Skye, Chandy, Hill, Bill and Lee. He sorts through and pulls out the picture of Hill. “She’s like the old song. Five foot two and eyes of blue. Weighs maybe 102 if she’s been out in the rain and getting weighed in her sneakers. Starting her junior year in high school this year... gives me a year and a half, maybe two to get things set up. Even if she decides against Penn, CSMC may still want to put a footprint here depending on what we find. And you two are friends of CMSC anyway even if there is branch in Philly. You know that right?”

“Frankie said something like that last time he was in town.” Isaac remembers.

“Doesn’t surprise me. Fancy isn’t going to be inheriting CSMC, at least as far as I know, but she is Baby’s daughter and you guys have always taken good care of her. The fact that Mona called you about this proved it. You’re in solid with CSMC.”

“She’s a heartbreaker.” Abe hands back the picture to Cole.

“Oh you ain’t kidding on that. Has been since she and her brothers were foster kids. Skye and I knew within days we were going to keep those kids.” There is a knock on the door. Cole gets up, letting in room service. The conversation is on hold until the tip is passed and the attendant ushered out. About then, Cole opens up Skye’s laptop and opens it up to the folder that Mouse had sent. “Get comfortable, lets take a look at what Mouse found for us to look at and you guys can put the local view on the properties. My wife thinks Hill should probably have a loft of some kind. Hill’s not like her sister. She doesn’t know how to travel light. When she arrives at college it will probably be with both a piano and a heavy bag.”

“Let me help you with that.” Isaac gets up and taking the laptop hooks it up to the flat screen tv so that the folder opens up on the 60 inch screen rather than the laptop.

 

“Thanks.” Cole takes a sip from the coffee he’d just poured. “Each of these properties is within five miles of the center of the University.” He calls up a slide of the City map with a red circle around it. “It’s going to make the price of housing interesting, just like Boston. Going to fun finding a good deal this close to the action. Add in the fact that Hill doesn’t drive.”

“She doesn’t drive?!” Isaac exclaims.

“Oh she knows how. I made sure of that. But she doesn’t. The money I would have put toward a car she put in the bank. Buses, trains, subway, cabs, car service– she gets around. So closer to the school the better. But here is the other thing...” Cole pulls up another slide. “She goes to the gym at least three times a week.” The slide goes over the top of the other like a transparency. There are only about half a dozen marks on the whole map and only a couple of within the red circle.

“There are a hell of a lot more gyms than what are on that picture.” Abe frowns.

“Yeah, well not that have Thai kick boxing. A regular boxing gym might work but Bally’s isn’t going to cut it. CSMC specializes in multi-use buildings. Businesses on the first floor and condos over. It doesn’t matter what they look like now as long as they’re solid.” Cole clicks a few keys on Skye’s computer and opens up another folder. “This is what the first property in Boston looked like it when Chandy and I found it.” He thumbs through the pictures that show the progress all the way from burn circles and garbage to the finished building with thriving businesses on the first floor– deli, drycleaning, liquor store, and laundromat. “Chandy’s apartment is here over the laundromat. Figured she could steal heat from the business.”

Isaac grins at that. He know that Cole was their kind of guy. “So you’re not talking about getting a house or an apartment. You’re talking about getting a building.”

Cole shrugs. “If the price and location is right. I swing this right and it’ll pay for Hill’s college and that money she’s been saving for college can go somewhere else. If it starts looking good then Mouse will put it out to CSMC about a branch opening in Philly– see who is interested in relocating and what they’re bringing to the table whether it’s a housekeeping service or property management. This is the building the CSMC Boston started in.” Cole pauses on the property he owns down in Boston. “This is where they are now.” Cole pops up the slide on the CSMC building on the waterfront, the converted industrial building that now houses high end condos, a Greek restaurant and CSMC- talent offices.


	8. Chapter 8

Hill knows that Edward doesn’t sleep late. He hardly sleeps at all anymore telling her more than once that he can sleep when he’s dead. So she calls the mansion early when she figures that he’ll be sitting down to breakfast. Reginald had set up the computer for Grandpa Edward so it would be almost like them having breakfast together. “I am sorry for the short notice, Grandpa, but when Daddy Cole makes up his mind, Mom and I just get out of his way. We got into town right at rush hour which was not fun. After we checked into the hotel, Daddy stayed to catch a nap and Mom and I went out checking things. Walked the campus, Daddy sent a message than we needed to check out a couple of gyms to see if they would suit.”

“Did you find one?”

Hill nods. “I think so. I’ll have to email the particulars to Narin to see what he knows about it but it looked okay.”

“And the school?”

“It’s a big campus. A lot bigger than PCU. I know I said this was about doing a visitation and we are. But it is more about Daddy Cole feeling comfortable with Philadelphia. So mom and I are going to get to do a lot of the touristy things. But I’m still practicing. They have a weight room here at the hotel so I’ve been working on the routine. I’m not getting behind. We’re still on for the nurse’s ball but you might want to check in with Lee because he promised he’d pick the music. And Elena is going to hate my guts because I was supposed to help her with the backdrop. It’s going to throw her whole schedule off.”

“Well if she needs help she’ll ask for it and she’s got those brothers of hers to help out. You deciding on a school is more important, Hillary.”

Hill sighs. She takes a sip of her tea. “I know, Grandpa Edward. I do. But I know I can learn just as much by being around you and Aunt Tracy.”

“You’ll need that piece of paper, young lady. So you might as well buckle down and figure it out. Some of those people you’re competing against have been working on getting into these fancy schools since before they were born with their parents reserving spots for them.”

“And why would I want to go to a school that does that? Isn’t it more important that the students be qualified?”

Tracy pours a cup of coffee and sits down at the table. “I could give a rats ass if the students are qualified. They’re the competition and all you have to do is beat them. You’re there to find out about the professors, the programs– it’s a stepping stone to the big picture. You aren’t there to make friends. Okay fine. Make friends if you have to but the information in that school is an asset to ELQ. They have it. We want it and you’re going to get it. Got it?”

“Yes, Auntie.”

“Tracy, put a sock in it.” Edward demands. “Hill, ignore her. Yes, getting the information is important... why else would they charge what they do. But college is also your time to figure out where you want to be working in ELQ. You’ve always had a good eye for the stocks and telling why one business is better than another. Is that what you want to be doing? Or do you want to be thinking real estate? Still a lot of opportunities there. What? What are you thinking?”

“I liked going to the mint and seeing all the money. Mom and I took lots of pictures but when I heard what Daddy Cole was doing... you know evaluating properties. It reminded me of all the stories you tell about you and Aunt Faith and Grandma Lila building the park.”

“And you and your brothers helping your father and Manny get that building ready in Boston. It was fun wasn’t it?” Edward smiles at the memory of going to the waffle house with the kids and having tea.

“You think that is what I should do, Grandpa? If I come to Philadelphia to go to school? Maybe CSMC will decide not to come and then I’ll get to do the rehabbing and that can be my practice. It would be nothing like what ELQ does but there are some properties that looked really interesting– that were close to the colleges or the hospitals– you know where the people are. It would be kind of like what Lee does but with properties. There are properties around here that would cost less than what Lee would spend on a used bus.”

“Hillary, don’t be so stupid. You’re not staying in Philadelphia unless CSMC is staying there.” Tracy snaps. “Get used to it. The rest of your plan might work but you better figure out how to work around them or use them to further your goals. Figure out what Philadelphia has that CSMC needs and make sure they have to go through you to get it.”

“What are you thinking, Hill?” Edward asks.

“I’m thinking I can’t use the list Mouse gave Daddy. Not unless CSMC turns it down first. And I’m going to need someone I trust here who is old enough to sign contacts.” Hill sighs. “Mom can’t wait until I turn 18 too. That way she can have me proxy her ELQ vote.”

“If she’s going to give you her vote, I say get emancipated now.” Tracy counters.

“And by all means, tell your father Tracy said it so he can kill her rather than me.” Edward interjects. “You come up with a plan and do the leg work, I’ll sign for you. But only as long as you’re getting good grades. You start slacking and they’ll be mine. And your budget is ten percent of your portfolio. You’ll have to consider not only getting the properties but also rehabbing them. And if you’re doing this right you’re going to be spending as much on the remodel as you do on the property and then selling it for at least four times as much. So the market is as important as the property itself.”

Hill nods after jotting down Edward’s directions. “If I find anything I absolutely have to have I’ll call but otherwise breakfast tomorrow?”

“That sounds good. Have a good time.” Edward closes the conference before Tracy can add her two cents in.

“She’s not spending anytime on campus at all!” Tracy shakes her head. “This is a total waste of time.”

“I’m sorry, Tracy.”

“For what? What are you talking about?”

“I should have done for you what Cole is doing for Hill. Been there checking out the schools. Maybe if I had, you wouldn’t have run away and married that Eurotrash instead.”

“Oh puleeze. You were running the company. You were much too busy.” Edward’s focus on her is uncomfortable and Tracy dismisses his concern and his apology.

“Yeah, and I might not be quite on my death bed yet but I already know I won’t be asking for more time at the office. When was the last time you went out on a date?”

“Oh my gawd, what did Reginald slip you and it better not be in the coffee.” Tracy gets to her feet. “I’m going to call the admissions office at Wharton. This trip may be more about Cole than Hillary but she’s still going to talk to someone at the school.” With that she quickly leaves the room.

Edward sighs watching her leave. He shakes his head.

* * *

Lee walks down the stairs from the apartment over Jake’s. It’s nothing fancy but probably better than it looked from the outside. He and Dad had remodeled them a few years ago. Maybe Dad had already been thinking of this. His cell phone rings. “Radcliffe.”

“You know most people answer the phone hello?”

“Hey India. Yeah, but it saves time with the wrong numbers. What are you doing up so early? It’s what? 6:30 in chicago.”

“I’m at the airport. Going to be flying back to the City. See if I can find the bottom of my desk. I’m not going to be able to get up there until Saturday.”

“Babe, if you need to stay in the City and work the weekend... do it. Dad and Mom left town with Hill and I’m running the bar. I’d love to see you but I’m going to be working two jobs for the next week. Course one of them is your design...”

“You trying to talk me into coming or into staying in The City?” Lee can hear the smile in her voice.

“I’d love for you to come but I know there isn’t going to be as much time as I’d like.”

“Play it by ear?”

 

“Yeah. Have a safe flight.”

“Think of me?”

“Oh yeah.”

* * *

Isaac Upton goes into the weight room of the high end hotel. He’s waiting for someone to tell him that the service elevator is down the hall and to the right. Cole Radcliffe told him Hill would be here working out. Course the picture Cole carried made him wonder exactly what kind of workout the girl would be doing here. He can’t help the snort when he sees who he’s looking standing in front of a mirror on the far side of the gym doing some kind of dancing. It looked like tap-- kind of. Or the stuff on the commercials whenever Flatley came to town. He comes over and stands with his back to the mirror so he can watch her and waits for her to notice him. It seems to be taking quite some time so he waves a hand in front of her reflection.

Hill pulls the ear buds out and is about to get snippy when she recognizes the man. “Isaac Upton. I’ve seen pictures of you at ball games with Fancy. Did my dad send you to get me?”

“Yeah. He said something about covering more ground if we split up. So he’s going with my dad and you’re with me. You know I get this feeling that your dad is very overprotective so I’m feeling kind of insulted that he trusts you with me.”

Hill laughs at that, and starts to turn off her player when Isaac reaches over and takes one of the ear buds and puts it in his ear. His brows go up. “What in the hell is that?”

“Bluegrass.”

“Sounds like something off that George Clooney movie.”

“I’m dancing at a charity thing in about a month. Really wasn’t planning on being in Philadelphia this week.”

“So you actually like that kind of music?” 

“Some of it. I like some of all of it. Both my parents are into music– I’ve taken lessons since I was seven– whatever I wanted to play, whatever I wanted to listen to.”

“And your sister is in Mayday.” Isaac makes the connection. 

Hill nods before declaring loyally, “Now I like all of her stuff. Pretty much everything put out on the CSMC talent label. I hope I have time to change.”

“Please.” Isaac grins. “Grubbies that aren’t already pitted. Some of the places your dad picked are more likely lumps of coal than diamonds in the rough.

“Did Dad say what Mom was going to be doing while we’re checking on properties?”

“She was on the phone with someone named Tracy? Before the call the plan was for her to work on editorials, after she said something about a migraine?”

“Oh great.” Hill starts wrapping the ear bud cords around her player and stuffs it in her duffle. She throws her duffle up over her shoulder and leads the way out of the gym and back to the suite. “There are about four different kinds of juice in the fridge. Probably soda too help yourself.” Hill knocks softly on the primary bedroom of the suite. “Mom? Isaac said you have a headache.” She says quietly.

“I’m fine.” Skye sighs. “Am I a horrible mother?”

“Excuse me?! Who in the hell said something like that?! Mom, you know that you can never trust anything Aunt Tracy says that doesn’t have anything to do with business. She’s just trying to needle you. What did she say?”

“That Bill is having sex with a french woman old enough to be his mother. And Lee is probably doing the same with India Hughes who isn’t old enough to be his mother thankfully but who was probably going to frat parties when he was getting fitted for braces.”

“Ouch.”

“Then she started in on you coming to Wharton without an appointment...” 

“Mom, Aunt Tracy doesn’t have the whole story. This wasn’t about me checking out Penn really it was about me getting out of Port Charles for a week.”

“You aren’t saying anything about your brothers.”

“Because I really don’t want to know. All I know is they are both over eighteen and Dad had the protection talk with them. Other than that it’s just not something I want to think about.”

“Me either.” Skye agrees. “But old enough to be his mother.”

“Consider the source, Mom and let it go. Are you going to be okay if I go out with Isaac to see some of the prospects?”

“I’m fine, Honey. I’ve got work to do. But if you’re going to be going out in public...”

“Yeah, I know.” Hill plucks at her sweat stained tshirt. “Isaac is out in the living room.”

“Go. I’ll keep him company.” 

Thirty minutes later, Isaac Upton and Hillary Radcliffe are on their way. The valet has Isaac’s truck brought around. Isaac gives Hill a boost up into the passenger seat. “I didn’t figure you for the truck type.” Hill buckles up.

“Comes in handy at jobsites. My dad is a contractor– I’m the & Son.”

“Really.” Hill looks at him in a cagey fashion which puts up the hair at the back of his neck. “Do you have your contractor’s license too?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Just very handy especially when we’re looking at properties. It’ll save a whole step as far as inspections are concerned.”

“So... both of your brothers have the hots for older women. Sue me; you guys weren’t exactly being quiet and there was nothing on TV.” 

Hill sighs. “My father adores my mother.”

“That’s great. What does that have to do with anything?”

“My brothers are looking for women to adore. Bill is eighteen, Lee is twenty. Lets face it-- women their age, my age, aren’t worthy of adoration– we’re mostly immature, gold digging teases who have no idea of who we are let alone what we want.”

Isaac has to slam on his brakes almost missing a light. Hill braces herself. “I can’t believe you said something like that.”

“Why not? You’re about the same age as Lee. It’s true right? And okay you look like you work for a living and you drive a truck but you’re a good looking man so I’m sure you get some of it. You’re much better looking than your brother. He’s been playing for the Lakers for 4 years now right? Bet he has some stories to tell and none of them are about women older than 25.” 

“This is a really weird conversation to be having with you.” Isaac takes a right and heads to the first property.

“You started it.” Hill shrugs. “I wouldn’t mind if someday a man looked at me like my dad looks at my mom. They’ve been married for over twenty five years and he does all the sweet stuff– you know fastening her necklaces, opening her car door for her.... hell making sure that her gas tank is always full and all the fluids topped off. They still have date night and hold hands. You know all the things that my friends parents don’t do.”

“Sounds great.”

“It is. But it’s not easy to find.” Hill counters. She starts seeing the numbers of the houses once they are on the right street. “How far are we from the school?”

“About three miles.”

“I know Philadelphia is all about the row houses... And I love the look of them I really do. But how can you avoid them being dark on the inside with windows only on two sides? And isn’t it a bitch hauling laundry three flights?”

Isaac laughs. “Yeah on both counts. I take it that your folks place doesn’t have stairs?”

“Up to the front and back decks. We live by a lake. Kyle and Maxie have a brownstone. They also have a housekeeper who does the laundry.” Hill takes a longer look as Isaac pulls in and parks in front of the prospect. “Well lets do this.”

* * *

A dozen houses later, Isaac has a different impression of Hillary than when they started. As much as they could they had gone through the houses on their own but whenever there had a real estate agent with them showing the house, Hill had totally deferred to Isaac. After the first house he saw what was going on. The little brat was actually siccing the agent on him so that she could do what she wanted checking out the houses. And Hill hadn’t given much away as far as her opinions of the places they’d seen until this one.

“It’s perfect.”

“It’s a dive.”

“It reminds me of Daddy’s bar. How far away is it from the school?”

“Less than a mile.”

“We need to get into the upstairs apartments.”

“This is one we have to wait for an agent.”

“Fudge.” Hill mutters. “I need to walk a little. I want to see how far away the nice neighborhood is from here. See where the transportation points are. I’m just going to do corner to corner.”

“Just to the corner right?”

“Yeah, down to that one and then back. And I’ll keep an eye open for the agent. You’ve got my cell number anyway.” Hill hops out of the truck before Isaac can come around and starts striding down the street. She is checking out all the building along the way but wants to get to the corner so she can see the neighborhood in all four directions. As soon as she gets her bearings, and pictures in her digital camera in all four directions she starts back toward the truck. She gives Isaac a wave as she walks past the truck and goes to the other corner and repeats the process. This one is going to be it. Don’t know it is going to be for CSMC or for Daddy or for her and Grandpa Edward but this is the property. But nobody needs to know that yet. She spies the generic sedan of the real estate agent and makes her way over. “Well lets do this. We’ve got other property to see and are on a short clock.” It isn’t quite as strident as Tracy would have been but anyone listening to Hill would think that she was treating this stop as a waste of time.

The agent rocks back on his heels. That had been an unexpected comment. Upton & Son are not unknown in Philly especially with one of the sons playing professional basketball. “Okay this is a three for one deal. The club is a very popular venue and has been for over a decade. Close to the college it has a very stable income.”

“But.” Hill says flatly.

“Vandals got into the apartments above in buildings one and two.” The agent points to the buildings he is talking about. “And building three had an undetected roof problem.”

“How long undetected?” Isaac asks.

“Minimum two years.” The agent shakes his head. “The roof is shot, gone and it’s created... moisture problems all the way to the basement.”

“Mold.” Hill shakes her head. “Great. Is it a brick exterior?”

“All three of them.”

“Okay lets take a look.” Isaac takes point following the agent into the best of the buildings.

* * *

“I’m hungry now.” Hill looks over at Isaac. “And I really need to wash my hands all the way up to my elbows. And probably get a decon shower when we get back to the hotel.”

 

“With you there.” Isaac sees a place that serves decent food without a lot of waiting and pulls in. “You okay with grilled onions and you’re not a vegetarian or anything?”

“Love ‘em. And no, not a vegetarian.”

“Okay. I’ll order for us and grab a table.” He points in the direction of the restroom.

“Make it a four topper. I’m going to call Daddy to join us if he’s anywhere around.”

“You want to wait to order?”

“The way I feel right now? Hell no. Hopefully he’ll arrive in time for seconds.” Hill strings her messenger bag across her body and makes her way back to the bathroom. She’d love to have a scrub brush about now but does the best she can hoping it’s antibacterial soap.

When she arrives at the table she sees that Isaac has their drink order at their table and as soon as he sees her, he gets up and heads back to the rest rooms. It allows her time to set up at the table with her notebook and cell wired in. She uploads the pictures that they’d taken on all the properties and isolates the shots concerning the last property putting it all in a separate folder. There are probably more properties that CSMC would be interested in but these three she starts researching now. First finding what housing all around the buildings is going for in a three block radius. Then checking the rental market to see what one or two bedroom places are going for. She doesn’t hear the counter person calling the number that is setting on the table. She doesn’t hear Isaac coming back to the table after making a circuit by the counter to pick up the meal.

“Earth to Hillary.”

“What?! Oh sorry. Oh my that looks good.”

“Wiz with. Can’t come to philly without getting a cheese steak or a pretzel.”

“Daddy got me a pretzel yesterday. How do you eat these?”

“With lots of napkins.”

Hill closes her notebook and sets it aside. Rolling up her sleeves she takes half the sandwich in both hands and takes her first bite. “Oh yeah. That works.” She closes her eyes as she savors the bite. With a sip of her drink to clear her palate, she can talk again. “There is a place called Eli’s up in Port Charles. Best barbeque. When Chandy had her sixteenth birthday? Eli’s catered it. Mom has been trying to convince them for years that they need to do cloth napkins because the paper ones just fall apart.

“You’re interested in the last property we saw. Don’t try to bullshit me. I saw the way you were acting with all the others. Why were you so interested in the one that is going to be the most work?”

“It is going to be expensive right?” Hill takes another bite. “You want my practice speech the one that I’m going to use on Daddy and Mouse? Or maybe just Daddy. Oh I would get in so much trouble if I cut Mouse out on these. And Mouse has the resources we’d need anyway. Argh. My brother Lee? Rehabs buses. You know take a bus, convert it into a road mansion, sell it for a million dollars... that kind of thing. He helped Daddy rehab the apartments over Daddy’s bar. We all helped really. I painted. Did the window treatments.”

“Window treatment on a dive bar.”

“Yeah, I know. Dad got a kick out of it too. Before the remodel they were rooms with a bathroom down the hall and a hot plate. After they were real apartments. Lee lives in one now. Lee is tight with his money. Everything goes back into the business. He’s not one of those guys who has to look like he has money to do business. And he told me his plan is to save up enough money so that when his partner decides to retire he can buy her out. Anyway– neither here nor there. I just figure what the remodel was, is basically what would be done with the first two buildings.”

“And the third building? The one with the mold problem?”

 

“That is going to be the fun one. It’s going to be gutted. Taken all the way back to the shell. Totally new roof... which means you can do anything you want with the roof include putting in an atrium style skylight window to draw light all the way down the center of the building. Building one and two are going to have okay to nice fixtures. They are going to be the rentals. Building three that’s where the really nice fixtures are going to be. They are going to be the condos that CSMS likes.” Hill wipes her hands on a napkin and reaches into her messenger bag. There is a little sketch book there. She never travels without one. She skips by a few sketches of hats and goes to a clean sheet and starts sketching out what she’s thinking of. She talks as she is sketching. “One and two are not reinventing the wheel. It’s taking what is already there and fixing it, making money on them ASAP while working on the other. Taking out all the stuff that was broken by the vandals, replacing the doors and the walls. Probably ten or twelve apartment depending on if go one or two bedroom.... three or four on each floor, two floors per building. Everything the same, or pretty much the same to keep the costs down... doors, carpets if the floors can’t be saved, lighting fixtures. You know what I’m talking about.”

“Yeah, I’m there.” Isaac is already working the costs in his head.

“Probably not too many changes to the club. Just improve the sound proofing, stereo system. Upgrade the bathrooms...”

“Upgrade the electrical.” Isaac kicks in his opinion on that. “Nothing kills a party like blown circuits and warm beverages.”

“And for building three something like this.” Hill turns the sketch book toward Isaac and focuses on her cheese steak before it gets cold.

“Whoa.” Isaac thumbs through the couple of sketches that Hillary had done while talking. “This outprices the market.” And he never thought he’d be saying something like that to a sixteen year old.

“Only on this apartment. And the market isn’t what is going on here. It’s what is going on three blocks over.” Hill agrees. “So it looks like an office at first. That’s what the entry opens to... the apartments’ office. Nice little lobby area. Beyond this door where the other tenants are probably not going to be is the living rooms and the floor above it a couple of bedrooms. It’s the only two story apartment in the three buildings. If it ends up being a CSMC building then it can be the headquarters for whoever ends up managing the branch. At least to start.”

“You got something in mind for the businesses?

“Well the club for sure that is going to close at about three am. So the business next door needs to be one that starts at about three am. Which will cut down on the vandalism.” Hill taps the roll of her sandwich. “Something like a bakery maybe. And then the third business would be something 8-5 maybe seven. Something like... oh my.”

“What?”

“A miniature shop, craft store, dollhouse supply.”

“Where in the hell did that come from.”

“CSMC runs their small loan business through a doll supply store up in Port Charles. Anyone who can’t have their name on something for security reasons all their ID is tied to the doll supply store. That would seriously impact the level of security.” Hill mutters. “At least for the back half of the business. Hmmp. And from the back of the buildings. Here would be the kitchen access for the club. Here would be I don’t know... laundromat for the three buildings and storage for all three too as well as a service access to the storefront. And here that would be steel doors and barred windows. Not exactly esthetically pleasing but if this building is going to be CSMC Philly headquarters then the security would be upped anyway. So it would be CSMC banking, second floor real estate management and then the branch manager’s apartment. Nice low key start for the branch really.”

“It would definitely be hitting the ground running.” Isaac agrees. He sees his dad and Cole Radcliffe pull in to the parking lot. “Look like seconds just arrived.”

“Umm... goody. Maybe just a half of one this time... with provolone?” Hill says hopefully.

“Where do you put it?”

“Hollow leg.” Hill says seriously. “That and three hours of dance a day right now leading up to the Nurses’ Ball.”


	9. Chapter 9

About ten pm is the perfect time to have a video conference call with Mouse. Course, the flaw in that is that Hill has been up since Breakfast with Grandpa Edward so she is dragging anchor. But she’d manage to put together all the information about the properties they’d seen and down loaded them to Mouse so he could check them out before the conference call happened.

“Hey Bug.”

“Hey Mr Mouse.” Hill grins at the sharp featured man who runs Baby’s businesses and finds the problems before they become problems. Kind of like what she wants to do for Grandpa Edward when she grows up. “Did you get the file?”

“Looks like a lot of potential.”

“Yeah, I can’t believe that you guys didn’t hit it the first time Fancy came out to a basketball game here. I’m going to go get my dad; be right back.” Hill pops up from the suite sofa and runs to the master bedroom. She knocks on the door but doesn’t go in. “Daddy, the conference call has started.”

“Be right out, Hill.”

“Okay.” She goes back out to the couch. “I’m going to be crashing soon. Did you have any questions about what I sent you?”

“I can tell the difference in the pictures between what you were looking at and what your dad checked out. You going to try to talk your dad into that three for one deal?”

“If CSMC doesn’t want it...” Hill grimaces and then sends another folder to Mouse. “I just sent you something else. They’re just sketches and maybe some ideas...”

Mouse opens the file and whistles. “And this is supposed to convince me that CSMC doesn’t want it? If this can be done...we’re talking cash cow. These rents accurate?”

Hill nods. “Based on what apartments are going for in the area. It’s just a mile from the school. And not too far away from Drexler or Children’s Hospital either. It’s weird, Mr Mouse. The troubles all started happening about two, three years ago. Like the guy who owned the properties suddenly stopped taking care of them. Maybe something happened to him?”

“I’ll run a check.”

“Isaac and his dad were a huge help, not only because they know the area but because they’re both contractors. Saved a lot of time on stuff that couldn’t be brought back and especially on the stuff that looked nice but were really total money pits.”

“Good to know.”

“Hey Mouse.”

“Cole, looks like Philly is agreeing with you.” Mouse counters as Cole takes a seat on the couch next to his daughter.

“Yeah, it’s been a nice break from the routine.” Cole gives Hill a kiss on the top of the head and sends her off to bed. As soon as the bedroom door is closed he continues. “What’s going on up there?”

“Baby’s back. So is Georgie Jones. Macon is still on the loose somewhere in Florida is best guess.”

“Anything on the spying on ELQ? Anything there?”

Mouse shrugs. “Handing it off to SI was the right thing to do, keeping CSMC out of it. Having us involved would have driven Tracy nuttier than normal. But it means unless I want to do a little cyber trespassing on friends, I’m going to know as much as you do when you call SI.”

Cole winces. “Yeah. Okay. And you know SI. Technically Lee is their client so they aren’t going to say shit to me. I’m okay being in the dark for a few days but that is about my limit where my family is concerned.”

“I’m sure Lucky knows that.” Mouse nods. “You see what Hill has planned for that 3 in 1 deal?”

“Yeah, she showed me the pictures. She’s been spending too much time around Lee. She goes straight to the decorating. Just like she did with the emergency housing shipping containers. Lee will probably love it. If she gets interested in the units here maybe she’ll quit dropping by Gordon Radcliffe.”

“I’m sure Lee loves having his little sis dropping in.”

“Right. Along with those accompanying visits from Tracy.”

“Ah. Good point.” Mouse reaches for his glass of coke and takes a swig. “What bout the Uptons. Are they up to managing whatever we throw at them?”

Cole shrugs. “They sounded good. Knowledgeable. I’m sure you’ve done the research.”

“Abe is a know quantity in Philadelphia. Isaac not as much. Always worked for his dad. He’s got his contractor’s license. Has been doing bids for the firm for a couple of years.”

“If he’s been doing bids for the last couple of years and his father hasn’t kicked him out of the company then he’s either pretty good at it and his dad wants to keep him or he sucks.”

“Agreed. I’ll find out. Abe is probably too old to be a good fit for CSMC but Isaac... maybe. Specially on the ground floor of a branch. And if he’s as good as Hill hinted at... He could be our next Manny. Baby is going to want to meet him face to face before that happens. Right now still investigating.”

Cole nods. “Well Tracy managed to track down the Dean of Admissions for Wharton. Hill has an appointment with him in the morning. I can just imagine how much fun that conversation is going to be. I think the guy was on vacation and not even in Philadelphia.”

Mouse winces. “You know if there is something more than missing Faith– there is always missing the way she used to deal with Tracy.”

Cole laughs at that. “Yeah. She did manage to keep Mother Quartermaine out of all our hair.”

“Well you and Hill have given me plenty to do. I’ll send you an update of whatever I find out before I crash.”

Cole disconnects the conference and then goes over to Hill’s room and knocks on the door. At Hill’s acknowledgment he opens the door. He sees she’s on the phone. “Who to?”

“Lee. Seeing if he decided on the music yet.”

Cole comes over and takes the cell from Hill. “Anything from SI?”

“Nah, but it’s only been a day, Dad.”

“Looks like the cover worked with your Aunt Tracy. She’s set up an appointment for your sister in the morning so don’t keep her up all night talking.” Cole hands the phone back to Hill. “Bug, I’m going to take your mother down to the club, go dancing. We’ll lock up.”

“Okay, Daddy. Have fun. I’ll see you in the morning.”

* * *

It’s a full day. Sounds like Hill is having them too. Lee sighs and looks around the office of Jakes. Dad could do his books where ever he wanted including out front with a hint of something in a coffee cup. Lee will be able to do the same in a couple of months but for now he’s stuck in this office making sure that everything is good to go for the next day. Work in the bar until ten AM, head to GR work there until 7 PM have dinner here at Jakes and do what needed to get done. Tomorrow the AM hours are going to be picking everything up at the wholesaler to stock the kitchen with potato skins, cheese fries and chicken wings. He really wasn’t getting to bed any later than he normally would. Dad didn’t close the bar often anymore, just on Friday and Saturday nights...

“Um Lee?! Get your ass out here now. Put down that fucking chair!” The intercom message ends with a screech and a quick cut off. 

“Ah hell.” Lee gets up from the nice tidy books and goes out to the mess which is a Chivas v Club America. It’s a futbol game out of Mexico great for tequila and Modelo Negro sales but it’s just as intense as Man U vs Liverpool. He races out of the office and into the fray making his way to the bar. In the time it had taken him to get from the back to the front, the place has already exploded from a couple of idiots into a full on dozen. “Protect the booze.”

“On it.” The bartender brings down a protective grate that won’t allow anything large near the display bottles.

Lee flips the house lights on high hoping for a deer in headlights response and turns off the match while keeping the recording going. If he can get these guys calmed down there is still a chance of being able to finish off the match. “Those of you who want to watch the end of the game, grab your drinks and head to the back room!” It’s tough to be heard but the word starts to spread. And really it’s not the first brawl at Jakes. The word starts passing quickly in both English and Spanish. By the time the room is cleared, the combatants are all who are left and they’re getting tired. Fighting, serious fighting, is hard work and without the audience egging them on it’s just not as much fun. In the distance the sounds of sirens can be heard. Someone new must have been in the house. The regulars left the calling of the cops to the bartender. Lee looks over at the bartender.

“Wasn’t me.” She denies. “This isn’t my first El Clasico.”

Now there is a time crunch. This had to be settled before the cops arrived. If it wasn’t then there would be a report and that would count against Dad’s liquor license. So he not only had to have this mess cleaned up, he had to be out of the bar too. “Fuck.” There is no time to wait for these guys to quit-- wearing themselves out. The sirens had brought most of them out of it like the bell ringing at the end of a round. They fall back and look a little stupid wondering what the hell is going on and why all the lights are on. Lee weighs in quickly and having the freshest hands cold cocks the guy who is still feeling combative. The cook who’d been standing in the doorway of the kitchen rushes out and grabs the guy by the shoulders and starts telling the other fighters in Spanish to grab the guy’s feet so they can get the situation tidied before the cops show up. The bar maids who had been supervising the back room see that the coast is semi clear and start hustling everyone back to their tables. “How in the hell does my father put up with this crap.”

“Your dad lives for this crap.” The bartender laughs. “Nice right cross.”

“Thanks. I save it for special occasions.” They hustle to move out any broken furniture. 

“Got it from here. Go. Back to the office or to the hot heads and see if they’ve cooled off yet.”

“How much?”

The bartender casts an experienced eye around. “Seven hundred and that includes the round for the house and the cab ride for sleeping beauty.”

Lee knows that time is counting down and heads back to the office after a quick consult with the cook who tells him that he had let the fighters know if they just kept it quiet for a couple of minutes that everything would be fine but if they did not then they’d be spending the night in jail. Lee goes back into the office and takes a deep breath and pulls the books to him as if he is going to be making another entry. He isn’t particularly surprised by the rap on the open door.

“So the bartender says your dad is out of town. How is it going, Lee?”

“Not too bad, Chief Taggart. You get stuck on a ride along?”

“Like to keep my hand in. You know my dispatcher never knows if it’s supposed to be a quick response or a slow one to these calls.”

Lee knows Taggart’s talking about the difference between an experienced bartender and a nervous customer. “There was a call?”

Taggart grins. “Yeah, you’re good, kid. The time clock is off by ten minutes on the game, the fans are acting a little forced on their cheers and the grate is still down around the booze. But other than that... looks good. You need any help on this one?” He makes a significant look toward the walk in cooler.

“I got it.” Lee doesn’t try to deny the situation. He knows Marcus Taggart pretty well. “I’ll just be happier in a couple of months when I can watch the matches up front rather than just mopping up after the place closes.”

“Well I’m sure you’re recording the match but I don’t think you’ll be able to avoid the score.” Taggart straightens. “Make sure everyone has a safe ride home.” 

“Thanks, I’ll remind the girls.” Lee doesn’t bother offering to walk Taggart out. Taggart would be cutting back through the bar collecting uniforms as he goes. He switches on the security camera in the club. He should have had it on all along, but even then knows things go from shiny to shit in a heartbeat. But it’s handy to see Taggart and his crew leave. He switches to the parking lot camera and makes sure that the cops have left the parking lot before he goes over to the walk in. His Spanish is the high school kind and a week in Cancun the spring break of senior year didn’t do much to improve it. So he is going to have to rely on the cook to make the points. “You know the speech my dad gives?”

“Claro. By heart.”

“Then lets do this. Seven hundred.” Lee grabs the digital camera in the right hand drawer of the office desk and backs up the cook, as the cook opens up the big walk in cooler where a half dozen guys sit shivering. The cook lays it out for them. The fighters now have a bar bill of seven hundred dollars. They could either pay up or be 86'd. And if they wanted to protest the amount, there is still time to call back the cops and they could all spend the night in jail and the judge would order that much and more in damages. Anyone waiting on a visit from INS?

* * *

Hill is up early the next day but doesn’t bother her folks figuring they probably closed whatever place that they’d gone dancing. She leaves them a note right on their bedroom door and heads to the weight room with her music in ear and her netbook in her duffle. She wouldn’t be able to focus on her email while dancing so she jumps on a treadmill and opens up her email. Mouse liked the video emails which would come in handy right now. Hill makes sure her ears are in and starts the email.

“Nice catch kid. Looks like the owner of the properties had a stroke three years ago. Money has been coming out of the properties rather than reinvested ever since and the broken window principal is in play.” Just in case Hill doesn’t know that one Mouse explains. “That’ a cop thing. And it’s actually true. If there is a broken window and nothing is done about it... then people start thinking it’s okay and all of a sudden all the windows are broken and the walls have been tagged. You get time today or tomorrow, I want you and your dad to check out the guy’s whole portfolio. It might be a quick jump start into the market. I sent you the file.”

The next email is from Bill. “Hey Bug. What the hell? Talked to Lee and he sent me the selection of music for the nurses’ ball to work on. Nice pieces. But he says you’re down in Philadelphia because you’ve got a stalker? Message me back.”

The next email is from Elena. “This is not the time for you to be over in Philly. Have you ever tried to work with Jimmy and Rafe? They are total pains in the ass and they are going to ruin everything. When are you going to be back? We have to go over things and I have to do a fitting on your costume. At least Lee picked the music so that’s a little progress.”

Okay that’s two who have said that Lee picked the music. What the hell? Is there an email from Lee in here? She scans down to the email from Lee and opens it up. He has files on everything. There are five different songs there all by the artists that made them famous and then there is all the sheet music. The people who’d gotten CC’d on the email are Daddy, Bill, Grandpa Edward, Winona, Elena and Chandy. “Yes!” Hill gives a little skip in the treadmill. Depending on how good a song Lee picked one of the guys would probably sit in. Since Stanley and Chandy already had maybe George or John. “Please, please, please let it be John.” Hill starts through all the songs that Lee selected. Not a cotton eyed joe in the bunch.

* * *

“What on earth are doing still up?” Baby asks Mouse. She glances down at her watch. “You are normally asleep for a couple hours by now.” Then she takes a deep breath. “Can we please take a break from the bad news?” Baby makes the most likely assumption but it’s an honest plea. She needs a break.

Mouse grins. “Yeah, I think we can. You know Cole and Skye took Hill over to Philly to check out Wharton?”

“Hill’s what? 16? Damn this is making me feel old. I remember taking her shopping for hats the first time.”

“Yeah, but Cole has to have housing set up before she goes. Basically doing the same thing as he did with Chandy in Boston.”

“That worked out well for us.” 

“And history is about to repeat. Let me show you what they’ve found so far.” Mouse calls up the folder and starts sorting through the properties meeting Cole’s qualifications. There are some interesting ones Baby makes a verbal note of, but there nothing so far worth Mouse staying awake. Then he puts up the pictures of the three for 1. “I think we’re going to lose this one to Cole. This is the one that struck Hill the hardest. She and Cole split up. She was working with Isaac Upton.”

“Fancy’s basketball friend.”

“Yeah, he works for his dad as a general contractor. Mostly small remodels a few start to finishes.”

“Umm.”

Then Mouse starts throwing up not only the pictures that Hill took of the properties but also the intersections and scans of her drawings.

Baby looks at Mouse. Now she knows why Mouse is wide awake. “This isn’t about Philly. This is about Hillary.”

“She’s got the eye, Baby. I know the only way we’ll ever get her is over your Grandpa Edward’s dead body but damn she’s got the eye. So she tells me that the properties started taking hits about 2-3 years ago and maybe there is a reason. Sure enough did a little research and the guy who owns them had a stroke three years ago. Hasn’t been able to get on top of his game since. He’s got a portfolio.” Mouse runs the list of properties along with the tax assessed value for this year and for three years ago. The portfolio is already starting to erode. “Hill and Cole are going to be checking out the portfolio today and tomorrow. So I’ll have more details by this evening.”

“What are you thinking?”

“If the portfolio pans out? Well then I think we take the whole thing. If possible leave the old man as the face of it like we did that sport bar in Boston. That would cut down on the flack we’ll take from the Philly bosses at least for awhile. And then we take these three properties here. Sell them to Cole and run CSMC– Philly out of them at least for a couple of years until Hill starts school there.”

“If she starts school there.”

“All the more reason to have Cole buy these. I think if he owns those buildings then Hill is definitely going to school there– if only to manage these buildings. This is her lab– like the Cellar was yours. Look she’s already planning it like a CSMS branch right in these three buildings– apartments above then club, bakery, laundromat, and doll supply store.”

“Doll supply? Really?” Baby perks at that. There are darn few who know about that front. But it would make sense that Hill would know, both Twink and Maeve have accounts at the Port Charles Miniature store. CSMC used the supply store as a way to camouflage addresses and make those with something to hide a little harder to find.

“I know this is cold. But how many years does Edward really have? We’re talking two years until Hill goes to school there... four-- five years if she goes for her MBA. Seven years and she could be stepping right into Branch Management. The guys would love her. You know it.”

“Uncle Cole would kill me.” 

“Yeah. He might. But this might be your shot to be able to take a step back, have that family you’ve been putting off. CSMC guys just don’t respond to other men; we aren’t wired that way. Especially in a walking in and taking over way. You send in anybody but me or Bruno, using your name liberally, and it ends up being a pissing contest. Anders is the closest you have to a trouble shooter for the next generation. Your guys have been trained to take orders from women. Hell if they don’t have a woman in the branch they go looking for one. Maureen in LA, Marta and Maeve in Chicago. Alecia with talent.” Mouse gives his examples. “Maureen is in it for the money. She’s going to pull her time and walk. Marta, Maeve and Alecia– they’re all lifers but they’re not interested in management– just doing what they do. We got to grab her, Baby. Hill is property management.”

* * *

* * *

Originally done Nov 5, 2009


	10. Chapter 10

“Boy, you look like hell.” Alice declares.

Lee yawns. “El Clasico last night. The plan was to get to sleep, wake up early, clean the bar and take care of the deliveries.”

“And what happened instead? They kept you up until closing, you didn’t sleep for a darn for about three hours and then the rest of the plan kicked in?”

“Yeah, about that.” Lee admits.

Alice indicates with a thumb up to Lee’s office. “Go on. Can’t promise to keep it down but there is a reason why we hauled that fool couch up three flights of stairs.”

“We used the pulley.”

“I’m offering you a nap until I leave for the day.”

“Three flights of stairs. I remember the whole thing. I didn’t think my back was ever going to recover.”

“Go.”

* * *

Hill and Skye start at the sound of a quick rap on the horn. They’d just been in the Dean of Admissions office having a conversation with a very pissed man who was putting on a shiny face. What could have been a lovely conversation had instead had been a little bitter and a lot sarcastic. It had tried even Skye’s boundless patience. If anything Hill had settled in more comfortably in the chair and gotten more relaxed the more cutting the Dean attempted to be. What should have been a thirty minute interview ended up being over an hour with the first twenty being Hill working the dean out of his snark. By the end of the interview the Dean was laughing about a story Hill was telling about Grandpa Edward and the junior New York Senator. Maybe the dean would realize later that the moral of the story is that Grandpa Edward had the money to get the meeting with the Senator but it didn’t make the content of the meeting any less important.

Hill looks around to see who is tooting their horn. “It’s Isaac. Come on, Mom.”

“I am not running in these heels. Not even if being chased by a bear.” Skye resists Hill’s urging.

Hill rolls her eyes. It doesn’t stop her from waving a hand in Isaac’s direction and increasing their pace a bit.

Isaac comes around and is waiting on the passenger side of the big truck. He gives Skye a hand up the front passenger side and then doesn’t bother giving Hill a hand because he can tell with her narrow skirt she’d practically have to hike it to her waist to get up in the truck anyway. He puts both hands on her waist and lifts after she throws her messenger bag up in the back cab portion of the truck. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Isaac shuts the door carefully and goes around to the driver’s side. “So how did the meeting go?”

“Pretty good for a guy who got called back from his vacation home on the Jersey Shore to meet with me.”

“Oh ouch.” Isaac winces sympathetically. “Could have been worse. Could have been Bermuda.”

Skye doesn’t say what she’s thinking which is that the Dean had offered to take them all to the beach by the end of the interview. “If it would have been Bermuda, Tracy would have probably offered to fly Hill down there.”

“Aunt Tracy really wants me to go to Wharton, she never got any of her kids or grandkids to go. And she’s willing to twist arms until she gets what she wants.” Hill explains to Isaac. She spies a duffle on the floor board of the back seat that looks familiar. “You brought us a change of clothes?”

“Your dad got a call from Baby. She’s coming down to see the guy who owns the 3 in 1 properties. She wants a look see on all the properties in the guy’s portfolio before she arrives. Hope you got your dancing in early. It’s going to be a long day.”

“I’m hungry.” Hill tells Isaac. “I couldn’t eat before the interview. I was too nervous.” 

“That works. You guys are going to have to change anyway.” Isaac winces and then pulls into the parking lot of a chain restaurant. “Hate going chain when you two are new in town. But it’s convenient, fast and they probably have a ladies big enough for you guys to get changed.”

“Works for me.” Skye shrugs.

“And this way it won’t be like yesterday when I was worried about whatever we dragged from the last place to lunch. Starting fresh. You remember, Mom? You were threatening to have those clothes put into the hotel furnace.”

“Hopefully today won’t be anything like that?” Skye looks at Isaac.

“No guarantees. And your husband made sure both of you have sturdy shoes and long sleeve shirts.”

“Great. August in Philadelphia and I’m wearing long sleeves.” Skye mutters.

* * *

“You’ve reached Gordon Radcliffe Motor tours. All of us are working on customer’s rigs right now. Calls are returned at 8am, 10am, Noon, two pm, 4pm and 6pm Eastern time. If that call back schedule is convenient leave a message. If this is an emergency either hang up and call 911 or push eight and you’ll be connected to One Phone Call--talk to Mona. Emails are checked on the same schedule as phone messages. Your call is very important to us but we can’t return it if you don’t leave a message.”

Lee hears the machine kick on as he drags out from his office. He’d figure that Alice would wake him at noon. Maybe two but it’s going on 4pm and other than still half asleep he at least doesn’t feel like he’s going to fall over. He grabs a coke from the machine and glances through the paperwork on Alice’s desk before sitting down and really putting it together to clear the book work for the day. Then he starts on the website and checking what is going on over at Ebay motors not only looking at their offering but also what he might be able to pick up. They’re working full time but it doesn’t mean that a used beer truck might not come in handy.

Alice comes into the office wiping her hands on a rag that she keeps in the back pocket of her coveralls. “You look better.”

“Feel better too. Thanks. I’ll make up the time.”

“I know.” Alice says dismissively. The kid had a work ethic that about rivaled her own. “We’ve pretty well worked through the slate for today. And if you finished the messages and did the book work? Well then we’re actually ahead for the day. Cause you know I hate book work. The only thing that didn’t get touched today was Mr Q’s car. Jimmy and Rafe had something they had to do at home and didn’t take the extra hours.”

“Yeah, and they’re probably wishing they could have been here. Elena has them slaving over the act backdrop for the Nurses’ Ball. Aunt Tracy saw the progress on the car. She thinks it should be ready for Christmas rather than spring break.”

Alice grimaces. “Miz Tracy is just one of the reasons why going to work for Ned and Faith Ashton taking care of Baby was such a good move.”

“I’m with you there.” Lee replies with a sigh. “I figure the sooner we get it done the sooner we have Aunt Tracy out of our hair. She isn’t going to be interested in Baby’s party rig.”

* * *

It’s a working dinner completed with room service. Because Skye had accompanied Isaac and Hill on their half of the list Skye is up to her ears in the meeting along with Abe and Cole. Because she types for a living, sort of, she is the one charged with making notes for all of the properties being reviewed and brainstormed. Cole is acting like all these properties are already part of the CSMC portfolio and the comments are all about what needs to be done to improve, renovate or move the properties. 

Since both Skye and Hill do community garden as part of their charity work, they do the nuts and bolts too but they are adding points about curb appeal and what needs to be done to the exteriors of the buildings. Hill works the photo shop on the photos to try to get generate some ideas whether it’s updating colors, windows, stoops, planter boxes. Some of these properties would have a $5000 bump in value with about $500 worth of supplies. These are all urban properties... it’s not like they had an acre lawn needing to be re-sodded.

Abe and Isaac bring a contractor’s sensibility to the party. They can ballpark the estimates for each property as well as sort them to projects that needed to be done during the summer or fall and which could be handled in the winter when business was normally slower. In this case they are studying with more detail the projects that could be worked fast– buildings one and two of the 3 for 1 and then some of the interior work on others in the portfolio. Getting this portfolio back up to it’s potential is going to be a full time job for a couple of years and keeping it up after that was going to be a job as well.

Cole is looking at the properties in probably the same way as Mouse and Baby would. Mouse and Baby would get the portfolio probably the same way they had the sports bar in Boston. Having the guy as the face would keep things semi-low key until Baby brought it up a notch. Having Isaac and Abe do the work... well that kept it local too. No big flags going up. Cole’s seen the drawings that Hill did. His little Love Bug had basically, whether intentionally or not, drawn the kernel of a CSMC branch operation. “How much?”

Skye puts the spread sheet up on the big screen tv that they are using as a monitor. She nods at Cole’s whistle. “Considering the number of properties its not that much and really the market here is a lot more... depressed than Boston was.”

“Yeah, that’s going to impact on the flipping.” Cole reminds. “We might be able to get them cheaper but they’re going to go for cheaper too.”

“Grandpa Edward and I are in for $500,000.” Hill declares like she’s talking monopoly money.

“Oh really?” Cole gives his daughter a look.

“We talked about it at breakfast yesterday. I’m not liquidating my portfolio, Daddy. I’m leveraging it with Grandpa Edward. Okay I’ll sell some but that will be stocks that I was ready to prune anyway and that will be working capital as well as when Lee pays me back from selling the Madison rig. And Grandpa’s already told me if I don’t keep my grades up that he’ll take over the whole thing and I’ll lose my shirt.”

“Honey, is this putting all your eggs in one basket?” Skye asks.

“No. This is actually diversifying because I don’t have any real estate in my portfolio– just stocks and bonds.”

Abe and Isaac are shocked by the matter of fact way a half million dollars is being tossed around by a sixteen year old. Abe hides his shock behind a stoic face. Isaac sits there with a dropped jaw just staring at Hill.

Cole looks over at Skye with a lifted brow.

Skye nods.

“Okay. Your mother and I are in too. You okay with me working the deal with Baby and Mouse?”

“Are you going to try to get these for us?” Hill refers to the 3 in 1.

“Oh yeah.”

“I’m okay with you working the deal. I know that Mr Mouse is going to be able to get a much better deal than any real estate agent.” And Hill really doesn’t want to know how. Some things are better left to the man behind the curtain.

“And you know that this means this is the last nurses’ ball for you for a while. Next year you’re going to be here all summer working on your investment. Hell probably on holidays and breaks too.”

Hill nods and then grins. “Oh good one, Daddy. I bet you say something like that to Lee and he’ll pay me back real fast.”

Skye sighs. “Okay and nobody is talking about the great big pink elephant in the room.”

“What’s that?” Cole asks.

“Not particularly a problem for me. And probably not for Hill or CSMC either.”

As soon he realizes what Skye is referring to Cole swears not really caring that his daughter can hear. “Fuck.” Cole rolls his eyes. “This is what-- thirty minutes from Pine Valley?”

“And Chandler Enterprises has a building about three miles that way.” Skye points toward the downtown area. “Edward thinks on that a bit and he’ll pull funding and probably tell Tracy to stick a sock in it about Wharton.”

Abe has gotten over a bit of his earlier shock and inquires. “Chandler?”

“My maiden name.” Skye tells him.

“Being around them for any amount of time is like drinking drain cleaner.” Cole informs the father and son. “Toxic– going down and coming back up. Smartest thing Skye’s sister Colby ever did was ditching that place and going to Boston.”

“It’ll be okay, Daddy.” Hill reassures. “I’ll talk to Grandpa Edward. Grandpa Adam has never been interested in me, Lee or Bill because we’re adopted and not real Chandlers. Mom being adopted and then us being adopted too is like us not being family squared. He won’t even know I’m in town.”

Cole can tell from Skye’s face that it wouldn’t be that easy. Maybe it would be with Edward but Skye had a few concerns about the Chandlers. He asks her flat out. “Is this a deal breaker, Babe?”

“No. And don’t call me babe.”

* * *

Mouse and Baby arrive in a private plane from Port Charles to small airfield outside of Philadelphia and are met by two town cars. This is a crew from The City who’d come over to meet their plane. Four people exit the plane: two security agents, Mouse and Baby. There are greetings as the Port Charles crew met The City security detail. But even with the glad handing and manly hugs with back thumping a couple of guys always keep their eyes on the access points and the engines are running on the vehicles. Mouse and Baby had a chance to review the final brainstorming information from Cole on the plane. Mouse gives the drivers the address to a house to a nice suburb outside of Philadelphia.

Once at the house they are quickly ushered into a living room but a maid/housekeeper/nurse. Baby takes a look around the house noting the absence of any pictures of family. The house has a sterile quality to it. She isn’t surprised to hear the whir of an electric wheelchair coming up behind them. “Hello, Mr Brown. I’m Kristina Ashton. Thank you for meeting with us.”

“The guy on the phone didn’t say what it was about.” Brown looks from the young woman to the older man.

“Mr Brown, I own a small real estate management company. It’s called Courtland Street? Some people have heard of it.” Baby can see the recognition in the man’s eyes. She takes a seat on the couch and waves Mouse to a chair as well. The last thing she wanted to do was to be towering over this man. “One of my advisors is in town looking at schools for his daughter. He was looking at the real estate market as well. CSMC has been thinking of expanding to the Philadelphia market for a couple of years now.”

“And we could build a branch piece by piece.” Mouse interjects. “Or we can jump in a big way by partnering with someone who already has a portfolio but is looking to ease out of the market.”

“You have been easing out of the market since your stroke, Mr Brown. And not in a good way. When my advisor was studying the market we ran across a few of your properties you’ve listed. He started digging. You’re pulling out your equity and neglecting the properties. One of my favorite stories that my stepmother told me as a child was about the Goose and the Golden Eggs. Someone has a strangle hold on your goose, Mr Brown.”

Mouse hears something that has him suspicious and he gets up and shuts the doors to the living room. This is going to be a private conversation.

Mr Brown looks at him knowingly. “Welcome to my world. If that bitch knew why you were here I would have never gotten the message or the call.”

“That doesn’t work for me, Mr Brown.” Baby crosses her legs at the knee. “I don’t just want your property. I want you. Front and center giving the interviews, going to the Rotary meetings. And I’m not going to take that wheelchair as an excuse for you not taking my offer seriously. My great grandmother spent the last half of her life in a wheel chair and built a community park in her last six months while dying of cancer. I get that only works when you have people around you that you trust... and you don’t have that.”

“Might as well figure it out now, Brown. Whatever Baby wants, Baby gets.” Mouse nods. He names off a figure. “That is the value of your properties the day before you had your stroke.” He names off another. “That is the value of the properties today.”

Baby names a figure that is fifteen percent less than the days value. “And that is what we’ll give you for the portfolio. Sucks doesn’t it?” 

“In addition to selling us the portfolio at under market value, you will commit to an open ended agreement as the face of CSMC- Philly even if we don’t say that phrase in public. The commitment is two years minimum during that time you will receive a one percent monthly stipend based on the income of the CSMC Philly portfolio. When we make money, you make money and not just on the seed properties we’re buying from you.” Mouse adds in the details. He looks at the closed door. “In addition you will have access to our lawyers and shrinks. Which is in our interest as well. Cause if you agree to this that bitch is going to have you declared incompetent isn’t she?”

“She’ll try.”

“You living in the suburbs doesn’t work for me, Mr Brown.” Baby is reaching for her cell phone. “It’s too isolated.” She nods when the other end of the phone picks up. “Mona, I need a health spa in Philadelphia, not a day spa. Something where a guy recovering from a stroke can get full service attention.” Baby snaps her fingers in Mouse’s direction and he’s already sliding a notepad and pen to her. She takes down the address. “Thanks. Make a reservation starting tonight. Tell ‘em it’s your dad and put everything in your name. Call me back if there are any problems.” Baby hangs up and goes to her next call. “Grandpa Cam? It’s Baby. I need a professional referral. I’ve got a guy here in Philadelphia who is about 48 hours from being declared incompetent so he can’t make a real estate deal with me.”

“Is he incompetent?”

“Let me find out.” Baby looks at Mr Brown. “You interested in the deal, Mr Brown?”

“Two percent.”

“One point five, we provide housing and a driver; you always get full right of refusal on your personal staff and I get to fire the bitch for you.” Mouse counters.

“Deal.”

“Yes, Grandpa he’s fine.”

“Let me make some calls.”

“Thanks Grandpa.” Baby moves on to her next phone call. She calls the office even if it is too late at night for just about anyone to be working. “Dara Jensen please. Tell her it’s Baby Ashton.”

“Baby, it’s Dara.”

“Dara, Mouse is going to be emailing you some properties and information. I need paperwork for transfer on all the properties. Mouse will send the particulars as far as price and terms. He’s already completed due diligence on all of them. Sooner the better if you have anyone burning the midnight oil there. I’m also going to need CSMC employment agreements for three people-- Jefferson Brown, Abraham and Isaac Upton. Probably just Mr Brown for now. I haven’t met with the Uptons yet.”

Dara whistles. She’s opened up the email. “CSMC... Philadelphia?”

“Depending on the Uptons could be working on it before the ink is dry.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re already working on it, Baby?”

“Because you know me too well.” Baby counters.

There is a knock on the door. The housekeeper doesn’t wait for the come in before opening the door. “Can I get anyone some coffee.”

“Thanks, but Mr Brown has already agreed to take me out to dinner.”

“I really don’t think that is a good idea...”

“I don’t believe Mr Brown asked your opinion.” Baby counters. “Shall we go, Mr Brown?”

“I know this place in the city that does a great steak.” Mr Brown plays right along.

“I’m in your hands.” Baby nods getting to her feet. She follows Mr Brown to the front door with Mouse and the housekeeper following. Baby nods at Mouse as soon as they are on the front porch. Mouse shuts the front door with him on the inside with Baby and Mr Brown on the outside. Mr Brown powers his chair down the sidewalk to the car waiting at the curb. 

Marco who’d been with CSMC all the way back to when Lila had been alive comes around. “Let me help you there, Mr Brown.” He transfers the man to the back of the town car. 

Baby comes around to the other side and the driver opens the door for her so that she can sit next to Mr Brown. “Keith? Could you have a couple of the guys hang here for Mouse. Mr Brown’s housekeeper is about to be fired and I don’t want any of Mr Brown’s property or information leaving his house.”

“You got it, Baby.” Keith grabs his cell and makes a quick call. “Mr Brown, you have a car?”

Mr Brown tells Keith the particulars about his vehicle that is in the garage and where the keys were the last time he saw them.

Keith relays the information to the two guys staying behind then both town cars start back to Philadelphia.

* * *

Originally written Nov 6, 2009


End file.
